Can't Hide
by MidnightUnderMoonlight
Summary: It's been well over a year since the Shadow Riders have made an appearance. Residents of Duel Academia thought they were long gone. Now the Shadow Riders are back, stronger than ever. And they're after one thing: Alexis. She can run, but she can't hide.
1. One Year Later

**Can't Hide**

Chapter 1: One Year Later

Alexis Rhodes sat in class, her left hand cradling her head and her right hand twirling a number two pencil. Professor Crowler's droning voice seemed to melt away with the ticking of the clock. Stifling a yawn, Alexis returned her gaze to her opened, but blank, notebook. The class was suppose to be taking notes on Crowler's lecture on, quote: 'defense mechanisms for you idle students whom are ever ill-fated enough to come across a God card.' Alexis had almost snorted in response to that – of all the things to be learning. What were the chances of one _them_ running into a God card?

Letting her eyes wonder around the room, Alexis noticed Syrus taking notes diligently, while next to him, Jaden struggled to keep his eyes open. At least the bushy haired guy was trying . . . today, anyway. Bastion, too, was paying close attention to what Crowler had to say, but Alexis could tell from his eyes that he would have rather been anywhere but there at the moment. In those few seconds, Alexis herself would have fallen asleep had it not been for the brute slamming of their classroom door. The balding principal of Duel Academia walked in. Professor Crowler's purple-stained lips immediately turned into a scowl. He was obviously displeased with the disruption, be it his boss or not. A few harsh words were whispered, and look of contempt exchanged. The class starting talking to one another, wondering what was going on. Jaden, who fell a mere inch away from slumber, was now wide awake, and pestering Syrus to clue him in on what was happening.

Alexis narrowed her eyes at the pair of administrators. She had a weird, sinking feeling. Something just didn't feel right. Her instincts were confirmed when both Principal Sheppard and Crowler turned there heads and locked eyes with hers. Crowler stretched out his arm and waved her to come down. The entire class was too consumed in their own conversing to notice Alexis walking down the stairs.

"Go with the principal, Miss Rhodes," Crowler stated, the smallest waver escaping in his tone.

Alexis nodded, still confused.

"I shall send the rest of them in fifteen minutes," Crowler told the principal, who nodded his head in affirmation.

Now Alexis was even more puzzled. What did he mean by 'the rest of them'?

Together, she and Principal Sheppard left the classroom and walked to the principal's office. It was clear Alexis was not going to get any answers until they had privacy. Once inside the office, the principal ushered her to take a seat while he went to take his behind his desk.

"Miss Rhodes, I think it is unnecessary to say that you are wondering why I have called you out of class?" the principal asked, folding his hands atop his canopy desk.

"Yes, sir," Alexis replied.

He sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"I think it would also be needless to say that you remember the Shadow Riders?" he questioned again.

Alexis's heart skipped a beat. She nodded in response to the principal's question.

"It has been well over a year since we've encountered any more of these . . . incidents," he continued, "and things have been peaceful in Duel Academia since you and your friends put a stop to them."

Alexis gulped and waited for him to continue.

"I _thought_ it was the end, Miss Rhodes," the Sheppard said, pausing a bit to study Alexis's expression, "but I was wrong."

Wringing her hands, Alexis breathed in slowly.

"S-sir?" she said tentatively.

"You and I and anyone smart enough should know that good things do not last forever."

The blonde haired Obelisk student paled. He couldn't mean . . . he couldn't . . . it wasn't possible . . .

"I have been informed of an uprising; a group of rogue duelists who are apparently following in steps of the Shadow Riders – even going as far as to call themselves the Shadow Riders. Only, this time, they are much more relentless, resorting to the capture of other duelists. They are not just after power; they are after _revenge_. They possess just as much, if not more, power and dark magic than the original Shadow Riders."

She was frozen, not knowing what to make of what Principal Sheppard had just notified her.

"We have reasons to believe the Shadow Riders are after you, Miss Rhodes," the principal declared carefully and clearly.

That snapped Alexis out of her reverie.

"W-what? I don't-I . . . but, why would they want me?" came Alexis's shocked response.

"You're a strong duelist, Alexis. Better than you're brother. Ranked as number one in the girls division. Granted, you're not the best, but you're _one_ of the best . . ." Sheppard trailed off.

Alexis scrunched her eyebrows in uncertainty.

"What are you trying to say?"

The bald haired man in front of her rubbed his chin thoughtfully, choosing his words cautiously as to not offend the golden girl of dueling.

"First and foremost, you were part of the group that defeated the original Shadow Riders; and as I mentioned before, they want revenge. Second, this group of rebels, they've been capturing _female_ duelists: young, beautiful, and at the top of their game. And last, but definitely not least, you are acquainted with some very powerful people, Miss Rhodes. Jaden Yuki, Zane Truesdale, Chazz Princeton . . . the Shadow Riders might use you to get to your friends."

"Use me?"

"Kidnap you and hold you for ransom if you want to be more specific. But you would be lucky if that's all they do."

Alexis remained in shock. She was normally a strong girl, but for some reason, that aggressive spirit had left her. Suddenly, listening to Dr. Crowler's useless lectures seemed very appealing.

Principal Sheppard persisted.

"Their strategy: it's very predictable, very cliché, and just might very well _work_."

He paused, and took a deep breath.

"I want you inside this school at all times. Have friends walking with you every step you take. You are not to be alone. Nor are you for any reason allowed to go out at night, accompanied or otherwise. There will be a guard outside your dorm door and your dorm window."

Alexis nodded her head in understanding.

"If you'd like, we can arrange to have your roommate move out and your brother move in with you."

"No, that's all right," she said, shaking her head.

"Please, I insist."

"No, it's okay."

"Then let me rephrase that, your _brother_ insists," said Sheppard.

Bright brown eyes blinked in surprise.

"My brother knows?" Alexis questioned, slightly dazed.

The principal nodded.

"He found out from Mr. Truesdale."

Alexis gaped.

"_Zane_ knows?"

Honestly, was she the last to know?

"Actually, Miss Rhodes, I need to inform and warn everyone who was connected to the downfall of the Shadow Riders about your predicament." the principal said, answering her question. "The smart thing do was to tell Zane Truesdale first. After all, having graduated, he is the farthest away. If you must know, I told him yesterday. He's taking a break from his tour and will be returning to stay and help with our situation in any way that he can. He's been back since early this morning. It is only natural that Mr. Truesdale would enlighten your brother on the matter."

'_Oh_,' thought Alexis.

"You're going to tell everyone about this?" asked the queen of the Obelisk dorms.

"Everyone that needs to know, yes. Your friends are probably on their way now. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I will be telling them the same things I told you."

Alexis shook her head. She needed to be here.

"I'll stay," she said.

And they waited for the rest of the gang to show up.

_**(A/N)**_

_**This story will be taking place a year after the whole Shadow Riders event. Anything that happens after that – like Ed Phoenix and the whole white society thing won't be happening. At least, not yet. I won't be writing that into this story. It's almost like an alternate reality. There'll be some small Japanese parts inserted into this story, which means I'm not sticking completely with the dub. Don't worry, it won't be anything big. Soooo, how was it? R&R if you like it!**_


	2. Breaking The News

**Can't Hide**

Chapter 2: Breaking The News

Principal Sheppard stared out his window, lost in his own stupor. He'd been doing this job for a good amount of years and never – _never_ had he encountered something so atrocious and dire. The situation was as serious as it was deadly. Duelists capturing other duelists – capturing the best duelists, and having them join their dark league. These Shadow Riders were good. They could have made something of themselves, but they threw their future away for power and a faux cause. Did these rebels really think what they were doing was right? What could possibly justify the torture of young human beings? Sighing, Principal Sheppard rubbed his temples. And there was still the matter of a certain blue dorm duelist . . .

He turned away from the windowpane and looked at Alexis solicitously. As one of the best students of Duel Academia, she was a role model to many of the underclassman and even a worthy figure to those older than her. Possessing cleverness and true endeavor, the girl never backed down from a fight. She gave it her all, and that was one of the many qualities that made her stand out. Hers was a spirit that was unbreakable. Until now. At that present moment, Alexis Rhodes looked both depleted and on edge as she walked around in circles in his office. He cleared his throat loudly, stopping Alexis in her tracks.

173 . . . 174 . . . 175 . . . Alexis had never felt so tense in her entire life. She had paced back and forth in the principal's office exactly 178 times. Now it was 179. And now 180. For the past ten minutes, both she and Principal Sheppard were waiting for her friends to show up. It was like slow torture. And she only cracked out of her robotic motions at hearing the principal's annoyed grunt.

"Miss Rhodes, you're making the room spin; and me quite nauseous. Keep this up, and you'll burn a hole right through my carpet."

Alexis looked down at her feet, and sure enough, there were obvious marks from where she had been walking.

'_Oops._'

Principal Sheppard sat back down in his desk chair.

"Why don't you have a seat on that couch?" he suggested, pointing over to the powdery blue sofa he kept near the right wall. "It's more comfortable than treading in a loop."

Alexis nodded.

"In the mean time, I'm going to have a talk with Professor Crowler and see what the hold up is," he said, getting up and leaving the room.

Alexis watched the principal leave as she slumped back into the sofa. A few seconds later, she sat back up, leaning her elbows on her knees and cribbed her head in her hands. She couldn't sit still. Alexis ran her hands through her hair, emitting a harsh groan as she tugged on the ends of her gold locks.

"Frustrated, Rhodes?"

Alexis jumped up from her seat, clutching her heart that was currently beating a mile a minute. She looked up and stared into Zane Truesdale's deep, turquoise eyes. Clad in his Obelisk blue dorm colors, Zane stood across from her with his arms crossed. He looked so composed in demeanor. Alexis hadn't even heard him coming in. Calming her racing heart, Alexis shook her head.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought Principal Sheppard already told you about . . . what's going on."

Zane eyed her critically.

"He did, but he thought it would be best if I were here to get the news along with everyone else."

"Oh," Alexis commented, nodding her head in understanding. "So . . . long time no see, huh?"

Zane gave her an amused look.

"We spent most of the summer together, Alexis."

She paused. So they did. Zane _had_ spent most of his summer with her. And with Atticus. He'd spent his time with them dueling against them both, training for his pro league tournaments.

"Oh, right. I . . . forgot . . .," she said, trailing off.

Zane placed a hand on her shoulder, sincerely concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Alexis shook her head. She was starting to tremble and she didn't know why. There was an undeniably queasy feeling in her stomach. Her head started throbbing. Zane grabbed her arms tightly and tugged her closer to his form.

"Alexis, what's –"

But he was cut off when Principal Sheppard walked in, followed by everyone else. The principal eyed them quizzically, and Zane immediately released his hold on Alexis, letting his hands fall to his sides. Alexis tried to hold back her blush. That was awkward.

Jaden walked in arguing with Chazz, oblivious to Zane and Alexis, while Bastion, Syrus, and Atticus made a beeline straight for them.

"Zane!" came Syrus's surprised exclamation. "What are you doing here?"

The little guy rushed to Zane's side, confused and happy at seeing his brother. Atticus followed suit, stopping in front of Alexis and wrapping her in a comforting hug.

"So, do you know . . .?" Atticus began.

"Yeah," Alexis answered, "I know."

Atticus's wrapped arms tightened around her.

Bastion stepped forward.

"Principal Sheppard, what's going on?" Bastion asked piercingly as he directed his question at the administrator.

The question caught everyone's attention. It also brought a smile to Principal Sheppard's face.

"Very good, Mr. Misawa. Straight to the point, as usual," Sheppard said. "I've called you all here for a very important reason."

He paused to look at Alexis, Zane, and Atticus.

"Why don't you three have a seat over there?" he said, once again pointing to the couch. "You don't need to listen to this again."

They sat themselves on the sofa, Alexis sandwiched in between Zane and Atticus.

Jaden looked at three, clearly just noticing them.

"Hey, Kaiser! You're back!"

Chazz rolled his eyes.

"You're observation skills never cease to amaze me."

Jaden narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Was that sarcasm?" he asked.

"_No_," Chazz replied sardonically. "Now that was sarcasm."

"Ow!"

"That _hurt_!"

Bastion smacked them both brutally on the head before a big fight could erupt amid the two.

"Thank you, Mr. Misawa," said Principal Sheppard approvingly. "Now that you both have holes in you head, maybe your brains can get some oxygen."

Principal Sheppard glanced at Jaden, who was still rubbing the back of his head.

"And yes, Mr. Yuki, that was sarcasm too."

Syrus tried to hold back his laughter. Chazz crossed his arms smugly.

"Now that you gentlemen have finally settled down," the principal began, "I have very imperative news to inform you of . . . "

Alexis stopped listening from there. She ignored everything that came after that. She didn't want to hear about how she was in danger. She didn't want it to be true, and hearing it twice would confirm that it was. She lost all space and time as she zoned out.

"Alexis . . . hey, sis . . ." Atticus nudged her.

Snapping out of her reverie, Alexis turned her head slightly to look at her brother. He was looking at her apprehensively. Everyone was looking at her. Even Chazz had a slightly disturbed expression on his face.

"Alexis?" Syrus spoke up timidly. "How are you holding up?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Atticus grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, don't worry about it Lex," Jaden said, trying to sound optimistic. "You've got us to protect you. And friends don't let friends get kidnapped by freaky, vengeful duelists."

Alexis saw Zane's lips quirk up in response to Jaden's statement. She had to smile. Even when times were dismal, the red dorm duelist still found a way to look at the brighter side of things.

"Speaking of 'protection'," Principal Sheppard said. "Alexis, Jaden, Zane, Atticus, Chazz – I need a word with all of you privately. Bastion and Syrus, you two can go back to class."

They left the office, Syrus casting a worried peek over his shoulders. As soon as the resounding click of the door was heard, the principal got right down to business.

"I thought it was right to inform everyone of the dangers of the Shadow Riders," he started. "But the real danger rests on you four. Professor Crowler, Bastion Misawa, Syrus Truesdale – they all played a significant part in the Shadow Riders's defeat, but I have to go with my instincts. And my instincts are telling me that the four of you are in greater risk and hazard than the other three. Like I said before. These guys are after power, and you four have that. Their dueling methods surpass even the greatest duelists. Anyone who has dueled against them has not lived to tell the tale. Witnesses to these duels talk about how maybe even Yugi Moto and Seto Kaiba may be challenged by such techniques and skills. These Shadow Riders have a way to getting inside an opponents head. It's incredibly frightening."

Principal Sheppard stopped there to look at his four most prized duelists.

"Chazz, your elite name and prideful duelist reputation precedes you. Zane, you overpower and are the best to have graduated this school in all the years I've been principal. Atticus, you are unimaginably strong and tricky. Not only that, but you were a former Shadow Rider yourself . . ."

Atticus visibly cringed at that.

" . . . Jaden," the principal continued, "you're courageous, swift, and are fortunate enough to have Lady Luck on your side in every duel . . ."

Jaden smiled sheepishly.

" . . . and Alexis, we've already mentioned your factors – bright, diligent, potent, and above all, you are associated with these three."

Principal Sheppard halted briefly to stand up and walk around his desk. He stood in front of them, arms folded.

"I expect at least one of you three gentlemen to be with Miss Rhodes at all times," he stated clearly and precisely.

Alexis was taken back. She knew how much danger she was in, but she also knew how to handle herself. The guards at her window and door and her brother moving in was enough.

"But, Principal Sheppard, I–"

"I know it seems like a bit much, Miss Rhodes," the principal said, cutting her off sharply. "But it's not only your safety on the line, it's your _life_. And I will not have you in any sort of threat – small or big. And in this case, it's rather huge. You are to have an escort with you at all times. Understood?"

Alexis gulped. Who knew a fat, balding old man could be so scary?

"Yes, sir."

Principal Sheppard nodded his head in gratitude of her cooperation.

"You all may return to your classes. Mr. Truesdale, you may go back to . . . well, where ever it was you came from."

And with that, he waved them off.

When they returned to class, Syrus piled on questions about what else had happened in the office. Jaden told him to 'not worry his blue little head about it, buddy.'

That night, Alexis laid her bed, unable to sleep. Her brother snored lightly in the bed next to hers and she could make out the faint shadow of a guard standing outside her window. There was a guard also right outside her door. Despite all the protection and security, she'd never been more afraid.

_**(A/N) IMPORTANT – MUST READ!**_

**_I'm still not sure what pairing I want. I'm leaning towards either Alexis/Jaden or Alexis/Zane. I'm going to be holding a poll. You can vote for one of these or you can suggest another pairing if you'd like. Let me know which on you want! Oh! And an interesting tidbit – I was looking at my stats, and I noticed how whereas I've had over 200 visits to this story, less than ten have reviewed. Although, I'm not guaranteed that those who have visited my story actually read it. Heh, go figure. Anyway, review if you like it. Love ya and kiss, kiss!_**

_**(A/N) #2**_

_**Thanks to all those who reviewed: Golden Dragon Kayleth, Qu-ko, AlexisxJaden 4 ever, LoveIsABattlefield, Cheeseywonder221, PurificationArrow, ravenrogue19, SoulSeeker, Mizuumi13**_

_**Big thanks to all those who have added me to their favorites list and alerts. I feel so loved!**_


	3. The Calm Before The Storm

**Can't Hide**

Chapter 3: The Calm Before The Storm

"I'm not doubting your manliness. I'm doubting your ability to procreate."

Alexis rolled her eyes exasperatedly at Jaden and Chazz. Both had been biting remarks at one another for well over half and hour, and what Chazz had just said was not going to lead somewhere good.

"If you two keep this up," Alexis snapped heatedly, "I swear, I'll make sure neither of you will ever have to worry about having children."

Syrus covered up his laughter with a hacking cough.

Both boys immediately turned their attention back to the duel taking place in front of them. It was a dull Friday afternoon and lessons had just ended. Not even a minute before the students of Duel Academia stepped foot outside of their classes did some Ra yellow student come running through the halls, proclaiming there was a duel taking place between the Kaiser and Atticus Rhodes. Needless to say, everyone was intrigued. A herd of teenagers piled into the duel auditorium and were currently glued to the battle that had just commenced fifteen minutes ago. All eyes were on Zane and Atticus's life points. All eyes except Alexis's.

It had been two weeks since Principal Sheppard announced to the young duelists of the danger she was in, and yet, nothing happened. A grand total of fourteen days, and nothing was different. No change or threats whatsoever. The administrators took this as a good sign, but Alexis didn't. Something was terribly wrong; she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. It just didn't seem right that all that time has passed without so much as a false alarm. If only there was some sort of a sign . . . some type of warning or foreshadowing . . .

"Whoa, _dude_. Atticus almost won!"

Jaden's exclamation brought Alexis back from her contemplating. She focused her hazy and uneven eyes to the dueling arena only a few feet away from her seat. Jaden was obviously paying closer attention to her brother than she was. Zane had beaten Atticus, but he barely survived with 150 life points himself. The crowd was cheering. Or rather, the guys were 'whooping' and the girls were shouting 'I love you's' at Atticus and Zane. Alexis succumbed the urge to gag at the screaming fans. There were times when she thought dueling was completely overrated, and then there were times when she couldn't get enough of it. This was not one of the latter times.

Syrus stood up and stretched.

"Man, that was a good duel," he said, turning to look at Alexis. "Perfect way to start the weekend, huh?"

Alexis nodded mindlessly, her thoughts returning to the Shadow Riders. Bastion put a hand on her shoulder, detecting how distracted she was.

"Alexis, you all right?" the yellow dorm duelist asked, his accent thicker than ever.

Once again, Alexis nodded her head mechanically. Syrus and Bastion exchanged a look of hesitation and uncertainty.

The auditorium was beginning to empty, and soon only the seven ill-fated duelists were left. Atticus and Zane left the arena and joined the rest of them in the spectator's seats. Chazz had casually thrown his left leg over the chair in front of him and was arguing with Jaden about how Zane had the better tactic in the duel. Jaden touched on the subject of 'how close the Kaiser came to losing.'

To which Chazz replied with a snort.

"Zane? Losing? Kind of contradictory, don't you think?" he asked skeptically.

Zane smirked at Chazz's reply.

Jaden stuck out his tongue at Chazz and turned his focus to Alexis.

"Lex, what do you think?"

Alexis merely nodded her head once more in response. Jaden practically glowed at her response.

"See?" he said to Chazz deliberately. "She agrees with me."

Chazz rolled his eyes, yielding his itch to punch Jaden right in the nose.

"She's not agreeing with you, idiot. Can't you tell something's wrong with her?"

Atticus, who was at the moment complimenting Zane on a certain move in the duel, quickly transferred his interest to his sister.

"Alexis?" Atticus said in a worried tenor. "What's wrong?"

Alexis didn't say anything.

He tried again.

"Alexis?" Atticus said.

Her brother's question went through one ear and out the other. It was as if she didn't even hear him. An unnatural glazed look had taken over her bright, amber eyes. Jaden was growing anxious and fidgety. He never was a patient guy. Getting to his feet faster than the speed of light, Jaden stood before Alexis and grabbed her shoulders roughly.

"Lex! Snap out of it, woman!"

The objectionable endearment jerked Alexis from her daydream. Blinking rapidly, she refocused her eyes and found herself on the receiving end of six pairs of concerned gazes.

'_Oookay_,' she thought as she stared at her semi-circle friends.

"What?" she asked the group bemusedly.

They all swapped looks of confusion, which only annoyed the Obelisk queen even more.

"_What_?" she demanded specially irritated. Why were they all ogling at her like she'd grown an extra head?

Bastion stepped forward with an arched eyebrow.

"We've been trying to talk to you for the past five minutes, and all you've been doing is nodding your head," Bastion stated evidently.

"Kind of robotically, too," Jaden added.

Alexis gaped, unsure of what to make of her situation. Had she remained so deep in thought that she hadn't even become aware of . . . well, _anything_?

"Oh," she said. And that was all about she could say.

Atticus took a seat next to her, rubbing circles around her back in a comforting manner.

"Is it the Shadow Riders?" her brother asked. "Is that what your worried about? Or is it other things? . . . Feminine things?"

A part of Alexis wanted to smack her brother, and another part of her wanted to burst out laughing.

"What do _you_ think?" she asked pointedly.

Atticus blinked.

" . . . Feminine things?" came his meek presumption.

Alexis smacked her forehead in frustration

"Don't worry Alexis," Syrus said cheerfully.

Jaden came up from behind and gave Syrus a heartfelt noogy.

"Yeah, Lex," he said cheekily, releasing Syrus and almost knocking the poor guy's glasses off. "Remember? We're here to protect you."

The lone female duelist shook her head and sighed.

"It's not that," she said. "It's just . . . this whole _waiting_ . . . thing. I can't help but think – I mean, I don't know – I can't help but . . . I can't help . . ."

"Can't help but what?" Zane ventured.

Alexis looked at him hesitantly.

"Don't you think it's a bit strange?" she asked, feeling as if a big weight had been lifted off her shoulders as she voiced her thoughts. "It's been two weeks now, and everything's been kind of . . . quiet."

Zane looked at her perilously.

"And you rather it _not_ be this way?" Chazz asked.

Alexis shook her head aggressively.

"_No_," she said almost desperately. "I've got this weird feeling. Like something's off. I don't know what it is. It doesn't feel right. _I_ don't feel right. I feel like . . ."

The girl trailed off, running an aggravated hand through her hair as she tried to string her words together.

"If something was going to happen," she continued, "it should have happened by now."

Everyone looked at her sympathetically.

"Don't think about it too much, Alexis," Jaden said. "Whatever happens, happens. All that matters is that you're safe."

Alexis smiled at Jaden and nearly doubled up with laughter at the irony of it all. Very wise words coming from the class clown.

"C'mon," Atticus said, getting up and gesturing at Alexis to do the same. "We should get back to our rooms."

Alexis nodded, this time listening.

Back in her dorm, Alexis changed into her pajamas. She'd planned on watching some mindless television to distract herself from her oh-so exciting life, but her brother had forced her to go to bed early. Alexis argued that it was a Friday night, and Atticus threatened to cut holes into her favorite pair of jeans if she wasn't in bed in five minutes. He even took out a pair of scissors to show he was serious. Defeated, Alexis snuggled underneath her warm comforter and drifted off to sleep.

A loud vibrating noise was sent through the air, and Alexis immediately snapped awake. She groaned, rubbing her eyes to look at the clock. Bright red numbers blinked back at her, telling her it was two in the morning. The vibrating noise cut through the silence of her room a second time. Reaching over to her nightstand, she searched blindly for the source of her interrupted slumber. The jolt of a third vibration confirmed that she currently had her fingers wrapped around her portable, handheld P-V-P: Pocket Video Phone. Who could be calling her at this hour?

Popping the baby blue cover open, Alexis pressed the 'talk' button, and was surprised to find a very distraught looking Syrus on her small phone monitor.

"Syrus?" she asked, shocked.

Hair disheveled and eyes completely bloodshot, the little guy was barely recognizable.

"Alexis?" he asked, making sure it was her. "Oh, _man_. Alexis, I've called everyone and I don't know where he is. I tried calling him, too, but he won't pick up. I know I should have probably called you first but I didn't want to bother you after what happened today – or, well – technically, yesterday. I don't know where he is or where he could have gone. He's missing and I can't find him any–"

"_Who_ is missing?" Alexis demanded, cutting him off as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

Syrus stopped his jabbering and gulped visibly.

"Jaden," he said.

Alexis's eyes widened. That woke her up. Goosebumps instantly went up and down her arms.

"He must have snuck out," Syrus rationalized. "I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't gotten up half an hour ago to get something to drink."

"Alexis?" came her brother's tired voice.

Alexis spared him a glance. He rolled over on his side and looked at her groggily from his bed.

"What's going on?" Atticus asked, attempting to suppress a yawn, and failing miserably.

Alexis's throat closed up. That was a very good question. What _was_ going on? She turned her concentration back to her P-V-P.

"Have you tried looking for him?" she suggested. Her voice had undeniably cracked.

Syrus shook his head.

"We were just about to," he said. "Everyone's already here with me."

Alexis nodded. She'd really had been doing that a lot lately. Atticus had left his bed and was sitting on the edge of her bed. He took the P-V-P from her hands.

"Lex and I will meet you in your dorm in about five minutes," he told Syrus and clapped the cover back on the phone.

Alexis was in the midst of putting on a light sweater over her cami top when something struck her.

"Atticus?" she said, turning to her brother. "What about Jeckle and Hyde out there?"

And by Jeckle and Hyde, she meant the two guards that were placed by her door and window for her protection. Atticus swore underneath his breath. He went to her window and snuck a peak through the curtains.

"Well, I don't see Hyde anywhere."

Alexis scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"You mean he's not _out there_?"

Atticus shook his head.

"You wait here a moment," he told her. "I'll check to see if the other guard is there or not."

Her brother rushed towards the door quickly and opened it a crack. He stuck his head out and looked left and right down the dark hallway, until his eyes finally settled on a massive heap on the floor to his right. Atticus made a hissing noise and opened the door wider, stepping outside. Her brother's curious actions got the best of her and Alexis soon followed him outside to see what was so interesting. What she saw caused the color to drain from her skin. There, lying on the floor was her guard, his face pale and pasty, and his opened eyes completely void.

Atticus squatted down beside the guard and felt around for a pulse, sighing in relief when he found one.

"He's alive," he said.

Alexis shivered.

"He doesn't _look_ it," she replied. "What do you think happened?"

Her brother looked at her compassionately.

"I don't know," he said. "But I've got a feeling; a really bad feeling. We need to get going. I seriously hope Jaden is better off than this guy."

Grabbing his sister's arm and pulling her along with him, Atticus broke off into a panicked run towards Syrus and Jaden's dorm room.

_**(A/N)**_

_**Big 'thank you!' to everyone who reviewed. Kiss, kiss!**_

**_Here are the poll results so far:_**

_**Jaden/Alexis: 20**_

_**Zane/Alexis: 14**_

_**Ooooh, this is getting exciting! (squeals) I think I will have this poll up for maybe two or three more chapters. I've been reading the reviews, and most people who vote for Zane tend to argue that there are not enough stories out there with him. Very good point, I have to say. So if you want Zane, you'd better vote for him. Jaden is clearly in the lead. Review and let me know what you think!**_


	4. Warning

**Can't Hide**

Chapter 4: They're Back

Atticus threw Jaden and Syrus's dorm door open in a hurry and rushed in with Alexis right behind him. Alexis, who had to practically run to keep with her faster-than-a-speeding-bullet of a brother, leaned against the doorframe panting. A horrible stitch was beginning to form right below her left ribcage.

She let out a quiet moan.

'_The things I do for my friends_,' she thought.

Atticus suddenly grabbed her arm and dragged her completely into the room so he could close the door. The result of that sudden jerking motion caused Alexis's stitch to hurt even more. She cringed. How was she suppose to help find Jaden if she couldn't even help herself? Settling on the edge of the bunk bed, Alexis took a quick glimpse around the room. Only the table lamp was turned on, and as Syrus had mentioned, everyone was here – dressed in only their pajamas. The sight of a bunch of top duelists wearing only their nighties would have made Alexis laugh if weren't for the current sticky situation.

"I think we should break up and look for him," Bastion ventured. "We'll cover more ground that way."

A murmur of agreement went through the air.

"But, don't you think we should tell Principal Sheppard?" Syrus asked, wringing his fingers anxiously. "If we go out there . . . if this has anything at all to do with the Shadow Riders . . . I mean – what if . . . "

Syrus looked like he was stuck. He was at a cross between either saving his best friend or doing the right thing.

Chazz looked irritated.

"Look," he snapped at Syrus. "If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts – "

"We'd all be a little bit fatter?" Atticus submitted.

Chazz tossed a fierce look in Atticus's direction and was about to say something else to Syrus when he caught Zane's glare. He ceased any comment he was planning on giving. Bastion cleared his throat.

"As I was saying, I think we should split up," Bastion continued. "But Syrus does have a point. Principal Sheppard should know about this, uh, _situation_."

Alexis shook her head as she sunk deeper into the soft mattress.

"How do we even know if Jaden's in trouble?" she asked, and then turned to look at Syrus. "Have you tried calling him again?"

Syrus nodded.

"Right before you guys burst in," he answered. "He's still not picking up."

Alexis sighed and fell backwards onto the bunk bed. It would have been a peaceful plop if her head had not connected with something hard beneath the comforter.

"_Ow_!" she said sharply, sitting back up and rubbing the back of her head at the sudden pain.

First a side ache, now a headache.

Everyone gave her curious looks.

"I hit my head on . . . something," she muttered as an explanation.

Grumbling, Alexis searched sightlessly through the red sheets of the bottom bunk until her fingers felt something cool and metal. Alexis drew in a quick breath. The object in her hand felt very familiar . . .

Her suspicions were confirmed when she took the gadget out from underneath the covers and brought it into the light. It was a P-V-P. _Jaden's _ P-V-P. The room grew incredibly hushed. All eyes were on the red phone in Alexis's hand.

"I guess that explains why he never picked up," Syrus said, breaking the silence.

Alexis stared at the phone for a few more seconds before she snapped it open. It was turned off. Alexis stared at it once more. Since when did Jaden ever turn off his phone?

"Why do you think Jaden left it – h-_hey_!"

Zane had snatched the phone right from her hands. Alexis crossed her arms and glowered at the former Obelisk Blue Duelist.

"You could have _asked_," she said with a protest. "What are you doing anyway?"

Zane had turned on the P-V-P and was scanning through the menu.

"Someone probably called Jaden," Zane started. "That's why Jaden left in such a hurry. He was out of here so quickly that he left this behind."

Chazz quirked an eyebrow.

"Soooo?"

"So," Zane persisted, still searching through the menu. "When Jaden closed the cover back on his P-V-P, he didn't think twice about turning off his phone."

"P-V-P's turn off on their own," Chazz snorted.

"And when they do, they automatically save any incoming call made, whether you want them to or not. It's convenient that way."

Alexis's eyes widened. So that was what Zane was looking for.

"Does that mean . . .?"

"We can see who, if anyone at all, talked to Jaden or left him a message by looking through the 'incoming calls' section," Bastion finished.

Zane nodded.

"Got it," he said. "Looks like someone _did_ call him. But Jaden didn't talk to him. It looks like our mystery caller left Jaden a message instead."

Everyone gathered around Zane to look at the small screen. The little monitor was loading up the phone clip. At the bottom of the monitor was a thin bar stating the time, date, and caller ID. The caller's phone number was labeled as 'inaccessible'.

'_Yeah_,' Alexis thought sarcastically. '_Convenient_.'

Out of the blue, a shadowed face popped up on the monitor and a deep, heavily accented voice started talking.

"Hello Jaden," greeted the figure on the screen. "And how are you doing today? Or should I say tonight? Or rather, this morning?"

The man chuckled wholeheartedly.

"Oh, the time is not of importance right now," he continued. "I'm sure know who I am. _What_ I am. And I'm sure you also know of the danger you and your meddling little friends are in. Well, I'm here to make sure that statement proves true. It's been relatively quiet lately, hasn't it? I sincerely hope you've enjoyed that, because from now on, things are going to be different."

The man's tone changed from pleasant to menacing. Alexis was sure her heart had skipped a beat when that happened.

"Jaden, I challenge you to a duel, and it is in your best interest to accept it. I think it is safe to assume you know where to meet me. I also think it is safe to assume you know you should meet me now. Come alone, Jaden. It would be quite an embarrassment if anyone were to witness your defeat at the hands of a Shadow Rider."

The man let out a deep-throated laugh, and the message ended in a flurry of lines and static. Zane calmly pulled the cover of the phone and snapped it shut. Everyone was lost in his or her own individual daze. Alexis's breathing grew hard and labored as she sat back down on the bunk bed. They were back . . . the Shadow Riders were really back . . .

Zane was the first to speak up.

"We need to get going."

"Where?" Chazz asked hastily. "Irish there wasn't exactly specific on the place."

"Scottish," Alexis amended.

"What?" Chazz replied, confused.

"The Shadow Rider," Alexis explained. "He's not Irish. He's Scottish."

Chazz stared at her for a moment before he turned back to Zane.

"So where do you think they're dueling?" he asked the former Obelisk blue student.

Zane also glanced at Alexis apprehensively before he answered Chazz's question.

"The duel auditorium," he said. "Where else?"

Syrus hurried over to a desk drawer and pulled out two flashlights. He tossed the second one to his brother

"Well," Syrus said. "Let's get going, then."

The young duelists marched out of the dorm room one by one and headed towards the duel auditorium, Zane in the lead and Atticus bringing up the rear. The hallways were pitch-black, with the only source of light coming from their flashlights and the only sounds coming from the soles of their feet. Zane stopped abruptly for no apparent reason, and Syrus – who was walking right behind his big brother – crashed right into him and dropped his flashlight.

"Ugh," Syrus groaned, rubbing his nose. "What did you do that for?"

Alexis rolled her eyes exasperatedly and jogged after Syrus's flashlight that had rolled a couple yards away after he'd dropped it.

"One of us needs to go tell Principal Sheppard," Zane elucidated, turning around.

Bastion nodded.

"I could it," he volunteered.

"Alone?" Syrus questioned, still rubbing his nose. "No way. I'll go with you."

Zane handed Syrus his flashlight.

"Take this flashlight," he said. "And hurry."

Bastion and Syrus ran the opposite direction, en route for the administrator's quarters. The remaining duelists watched them run off until they were out of sight.

"Speaking of flashlights," Chazz drawled. "Where's the other one?"

"And . . . where's Alexis?" Atticus added.

"Follow the yellow brick road," Zane said. He pointed toward a very faint light illuminated at the end of the hallway.

Atticus swiftly ran ahead, leaving Zane and Chazz behind. Zane and Chazz exchanged a look before promptly following suit.

Atticus stopped once he saw the back of his sister's form.

"Geez, Alexis!" Atticus exclaimed, relieved his sister was all right.

But he was wrong. She wasn't all right. He noticed that when Alexis didn't respond. Her back was completely rigid, and her hands were clenched at her sides so tightly that her knuckles were white. Atticus gulped, and placed a shaking hand on her shoulders.

"Alexis?" he said hesitantly.

Her head was bent and she appeared to be looking down at the flashlight. Atticus followed her gaze, and he immediately drew in a sharp breath. The flashlight was nestled against something. Or preferably, _someone_. There lying on the ground was the missing guard.

"Hyde," Atticus said. And that was about all he could say.

Zane and Chazz arrived the exact moment Atticus bent down to pick up the flashlight. He took a leaf out of Jaden's book and grabbed his sister by the shoulders and shook her hard. Alexis blinked, breaking free from her shocked state as color started returning to her pale face. Zane and Chazz slowed down and cast Atticus inquiring looks.

"What's going on . . .?" Chazz asked before trailing off. He'd caught sight of the immense mound on the ground.

"Damn," Chazz muttered.

Zane took the flashlight from Atticus's hands and didn't give the guard a second glance.

"Let's go," he instructed firmly.

The four duelists headed in the direction of the auditorium. Atticus held on to his sister's arm and didn't let go until they got to the auditorium's entrance. Zane pulled the door open without delay. Four pairs of eyes widened at the sight of the duel arena. A grand, dark force surrounded it. Waves of electricity emitted themselves randomly from the black embankment. All four duelists traded looks at one another before they decided simultaneously to step foot in the auditorium. Alexis rushed in first, stopping at the edge of the dark circle.

"Shadow duel," she whispered.

She reached out her hand, but instantly drew it back. No. She couldn't touch it. It was too dangerous. Seeing this brought back a flood of memories of her own Shadow duel a year ago. Thinking about it made her heart wrench. The pain, the darkness, the desolation . . . it was horrible. But she was able to get through it in the end – with the help of her brother.

Zane, Atticus, and Chazz reached her side moments later.

"How do you think he's doing in there?" Alexis asked, her voice barely inaudible.

"Winning," was her brother's confident reply. "He's winning."

The second those words were uttered; the shadow encircling the arena cracked, an unforeseen force broke through the entire auditorium, knocked all four duelists off their feet and slammed them roughly in every direction. Chazz was smashed against one of the entrance doors, Zane and Atticus were thrown into the first row of spectator's seats, and Alexis crashed forcefully against the hard, cool floor.

A searing pain went through Alexis's right shoulder and down her arm. Biting back any curses, she tried to get on her feet. She was able to get on all fours, but was still too dizzy to stand. She shut her eyes tightly for a few seconds then opened them slowly and stood gradually. On top of the stage stood Jaden. He was down on all four, just like she was a moment ago, and he was breathing rather hard. On the opposite side of him stood his opponent. The man looked rather young. He couldn't have been any older than twenty-five. Alexis took a quick glance at Jaden's side at his projected life points, and was shocked to see that it read zero. Alexis glared at Jaden's red-haired opponent, but then also noticed that _his_ life points read zero. Alexis's eyes broadened in realization. It was tie.

"Well," the Shadow Rider remarked. "That was interesting."

'_For the love of God cards_,' Alexis thought, frustrated. '_He doesn't even sound tired._'

The Shadow Rider's deep blue eyes skimmed the auditorium and finally settled his gaze on Alexis. He shook his head mockingly.

"Tsk, tsk Jaden," he scolded sardonically. "Didn't I tell you not to bring your friends? Now you'll have to suffer the humiliation of losing in front of them."

"It was a _tie_, you good for nothing –" Alexis began, but she stopped when Jaden threw her look telling her to keep her mouth shut.

The Shadow Rider laughed. Atticus, Zane, and Chazz had gotten up and were staggering towards Alexis.

"I must say, Miss Rhodes," the Shadow Rider said. "You're quite more feisty than I expected. But you are correct. It was a tie."

He looked at Jaden like he was a bug. A very disgusting bug.

"And you," he directed at Jaden. "You were a lot more determined than I expected. It may have been a tie this time, but it won't be next time."

"Who are you?" Zane demanded. "What do want from us?"

"Who am I?" the Shadow Rider mimicked. "I am Dark-Wing . . ."

He trailed off and smirked at Alexis openly.

"And I think you know what I want."

Alexis was revolted at his comment.

"I'm not afraid of you," she told him, her voice unyielding and unwavering. "No one is."

The Shadow Rider merely kept his smirk.

"No, you're not," he observed. "But maybe you should be. Fear of me . . . fear of what I can do, of what I'm capable of . . . perhaps that will help you survive longer. People say living in fear is a bad thing. For you, on the other hand, it may just save your life. It would not be very smart to be brave in dire times such as these. Take that as a warning, Miss Rhodes."

He suddenly extracted something from his pocket and threw it at the ground. A load of black smoke filled the entire place. By the time the smoke cleared up, the Shadow Rider was gone. Silence ensued.

"Now what do we do?" Chazz asked.

That was the question plaguing everyone's minds.

What _do_ they do?

_**(A/N)**_

_**Big thanks to my lovely reviewers. And also a much appreciated 'Thank you' to those who warned me about posting up an author's note in place of a chapter. I knew I was taking a risk, but I had to do it. Thank you for your kind consideration though. And I would also like to thank those who supported me on why I placed the author's note in the first place. Here are the votes so far:**_

_**Alexis/Jaden: 70**_

_**Alexis/Zane: 87**_

_**And Zane makes a comeback! Wow. I have to say, I am shocked. This chapter will be the last chapter I take votes, so you'd better vote your butts off! (lol) Muah! Love ya! **_

_**Oh, and a side note to The Masked Duelist: If you love to bash this 'stupid girl' so much, then why do you write her as the main character in you fic? Isn't she one of your favorites to use as a couple with someone else? C'mon, now! (wags finger at The Masked Duelist mockingly) Don't contradict yourself! You want a writer to do better – you criticize. Telling someone his or her story sucks does not do the job, nor does it fall under the definition of 'criticism'. I think that's what people call a flame. Or in your case, a drunken flame.**_


	5. A Few Answers

**Can't Hide**

Chapter 5: A Few Answers

Alexis didn't think twice about it. She quickly rushed up the dueling arena to check on Jaden. A horrible throbbing pain was running up and down her arm from her hard impact against the floor, but she didn't care.

"Jaden?" she tentatively reached out a hand. "You okay?"

The courageous duelist still hadn't gotten up from his crouched position. His shoulders were slumped in defeat, and his breathing was haggard.

Atticus, Zane, and Chazz were now standing behind Jaden.

"Hey," Atticus crouched beside Jaden and slung and arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry about it, man. You didn't lose."

Alexis nodded her head vigorously.

"That's right," she agreed. "It was a tie."

Jaden slowly brought his head up and stared straight into Alexis's light, chocolate brown eyes. Alexis nearly gasped. Ranges of emotions were swirling through Jaden's look: regret, anger, and frustration. He wasn't just upset about the tie; he was troubled by the entire duel.

"I-I . . . I'm . . ." he couldn't string his words together.

Alexis scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion and concern. What was he trying to say? She patted his shoulders gently.

"It's okay you didn't win, Jaden," she consoled. "No one's blaming you for anything."

Jaden shook his head. He looked like he was close to tears.

"N-No. You don't get it," he tried to explain.

Chazz let out an aggravated breath.

" 'Don't get' _what_?" he asked.

Jaden leaned back and rubbed his face tiredly.

"In the middle of the duel . . . I – he – the Shadow Rider," Jaden took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he continued. "We made deal. He told me that if I could beat him, he'd leave you alone, Lex."

Alexis stared at her crestfallen friend, almost afraid to ask the question that popped into her head.

Luckily, she didn't have too.

"And what if you lost?" Zane insisted.

Jaden shook his head again. An extremely pained expression had come across his face, as he looked Alexis straight in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Lex," he whispered in a strained voice. "_I'm so sorry_."

Alexis's mouth suddenly became dry while a chill went up and down her spine. Zane stepped forward and grabbed both of Jaden's shoulders.

"_What did you do_?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry . . . " Jaden repeated. He wouldn't stop.

Alexis shook her head; her hands were shaking frenziedly. Atticus was trying to pull Zane off of Jaden.

"What . . . " Alexis paused to gulp. "What was the other half of the deal? What if you lost?"

Jaden stopped his systematic 'I'm sorry's'. He couldn't look at Alexis, so stared at the floor instead.

"If I lost . . ." Jaden's voice wavered. "Then they're going to come for you."

Alexis paled.

At that exact moment, the doors to dueling auditorium slammed open, and in ran Principal Sheppard. Trailing right behind him was Bastion, Syrus, and three security officers.

Everyone save for Jaden and Alexis looked up.

"Are all of you all right?" Principal Sheppard asked. "Where's the Shadow Rider?"

No one answered. Their principal looked frantically between all of them.

"Gone . . ." Chazz spoke up. "The Shadow Rider's gone."

Sheppard was clearly puzzled. But his trepidation for his students rose above his perplexity. He made up his decision.

"All of you," he pointed his index finger at them. "Meet me in my office in five minutes. These guards will escort you."

With that, he walked out. Bastion and Syrus made sure Principal Sheppard was out of range before they rounded on their friends.

"Are you guys okay?" Syrus asked anxiously. "What happened?"

Again, no one responded.

Bastion narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Something happened," he observed, answering Syrus's question. "What is it?"

Zane cleared his throat, looking amid Jaden and Alexis. His anger toward the Red dorm duelist had subsided.

"We should get going," he suggested.

Jaden nodded his head despairingly and rose to his feet. The walk over to Principal Sheppard's office was long, silent, and strained. Not one person said a single word.

Alexis couldn't keep her eyes off Jaden. She'd never seen him look so defeated. In the last couple of hours, her life had literally been in his hands, and he'd failed. But she couldn't blame him. He'd tried his best, and that was all she could ask of him. He was one of her closest friends and he'd tried his best to save her life. She couldn't forgive him if he hadn't done anything wrong in the first place.

Alexis shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around herself. If only she could say those words to him. But she knew it would have been useless. Anything she'd have said in that moment would have gone through one ear and out the other.

After what seemed like an eternity, the group finally reached the principal's office. Bastion opened the door for them, and Alexis was the first to walk in. She couldn't stand to look at her distressed friend for another minute. It was quietly killing her on the inside. The three guards who escorted them waited patiently outside.

Principal Sheppard stood gazing out the window at the night sky with his back towards them. Alexis had an odd feeling of déjà vu. The last time she'd seem him like that was when he'd first informed her of the Shadow Riders' return. They all gathered around his desk and waited.

"I'm very disappointed in all of you," was the first thing Principal Sheppard said.

He turned around and looked all duelists in the eye.

Syrus gulped loudly.

"You shouldn't have done what you did tonight," he said, looking pointedly at Jaden. "I am glad that you had Bastion and Syrus tell me, but you should have waited."

Jaden avoided Principal Sheppard's stare.

"You all took an incredibly dangerous risk," he continued scolding. "The seven of you know what these Shadow Rider's are capable of. All I can really say is that I am thankful all of you are in one piece."

Principal Sheppard halted briefly to look at each of them. He sighed, and sat down in his chair, arms folded neatly on top of his desk.

"Tell me what happened," he ordered.

No one said a word. No one had the right to say anything. The only one who truly knew what happened was Jaden.

Principal Sheppard rubbed his temples tiredly.

"All right," he said. "Let's try this from a different angle. If you don't tell me what happened, then I will be forced to inform the proper authority and they will close this school down for inspection on account of its safety."

He looked at them all expectantly.

"By not telling me, you risk the well-being of this entire school," he stated. "The world is not going to believe this at all. The Shadow Riders are a myth to non-duelists. A hoax. You will not only put this school on the line, you'll put thousands of duelists on the line as well. You children must realize that well over half the world thinks this is a joke. To them, a game cannot save a life. To us duelists, life is a game. So speak up. Now."

Alexis found herself once again looking at Jaden. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to start.

"I . . . I . . ." Jaden struggled, looking for the right words.

Principal Sheppard leaned forward.

"Yes, Jaden?" he urged.

"I made a d-deal," Jaden stammered. "I told the Shadow Rider that if I won the duel, he would have to leave Alexis alone. And if I lost . . ."

Jaden trailed off. There was nothing that needed to be said after that.

Principal Sheppard studied Jaden carefully.

"But you _didn't_ lose," Syrus insisted. "It was a tie. Nothing bad is going to happen to Alexis."

"You can't get out of this on a little loophole, Syrus," Zane chided. "A deal's a deal."

Principal Sheppard ignored the idle side conversation.

"Did he say anything during the duel?" he asked Jaden. "Did you get any information from him? Some answers?"

Jaden nodded.

"I asked him why he was after Alexis. Why the Shadow Riders were only after female duelists."

"What did he say?" Chazz inquired.

"He said they were trying to balance it all out; an even number of guys and girls. And . . ." Jaden paused a little. "He said something about how girls were easier to control in the game."

Alexis narrowed her eyes at this. _'Girls were easier to control!'_ she bristled. _'Oh, now it was personal.' _A pleasant image of Dark-Wing being crushed under her boots suddenly filled the girl's mind.

"What about a time and place?" the principal persisted. "Did he say when he'd be coming after Miss Rhodes?"

Jaden shook his head sadly.

Their principal nodded, accepting Jaden's response.

"So . . . now what?" Bastion asked pointblank.

Principal Sheppard stood up exhaustedly.

"Now we wait. _Again_," he said. "I suggest all of you try to get some sleep. There's not much we can really do now."

With that, he ushered them out.

All they could do now was wait.

Wait and see.

_**(A/N)**_

_**Okay, okay. I know it's been a while. Those of you who've read my little message at the bottom of my profile, you know why. But for the ones who haven't, I need to explain myself. AP's took up a lot of my time. And even after they were over, I had to make up a bunch of stuff I missed (which, BTW, was a lot). I only recently finished all my make-ups. Now, I've got finals to worry about. This chapter was actually supposed to come out in mid June. I kind of forced myself to write it – so it may not be my best work. It was the least I could do for those waiting on me. My other story (Getting Too Close) came much more easily to me, so I was able to update it faster. This story took methodical process and time – which I did not have a lot of. I promise you, once my summer break starts, I'll get back on track with this story.**_

_**The results are in! And the winner is . . . (drum roll please!) . . . a surprise! (laughs evilly) Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. Maybe within the next three chapters. So the poll is closed, folks. And I, personally, am very happy with the votes. Big thanks to all of you who participated. It was greatly appreciated.**_


	6. Cautionary Steps

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 6: Cautionary Steps**

The sounds of birds chirping and a bright stream of sunlight cracking through her curtains woke Alexis up. It didn't matter anyway, though, because she'd only been half asleep the entire night.

'_Technically, the entire morning_,' she thought bitterly to herself. '_Nice way to start the weekend._'

Principal Sheppard had positioned new guards in front of her door and window. This time, there were two at each post. The original guards, Jeckle and Hyde, were recovering in the hospital wing of the school.

She rolled over onto her right side and caught a glimpse of her brother's chocolate brown tresses beneath piles of bed sheets. Alexis sighed. At least he was sleeping rather peacefully.

A knock sounded at her door, triggering Alexis to jerk upright in her bed. She glanced at her brother, wondering if he'd heard. She a got a loud snore in response – obviously, he hadn't.

'_Who could that be?_' she speculated.

The knock sounded again.

"Miss Rhodes?" came a strong, masculine voice. "This is Mike, your guard. Are you awake yet?"

Alexis almost rolled her eyes.

'_Even if I wasn't, I would be now_,' she thought sardonically.

"Yeah," she replied. "What is it?"

"Principal Sheppard asked that you head to his office as soon as you wake up. He has something important he wants to talk to you about."

"Okay," she said.

Alexis rolled out of bed and quickly showered and dressed. She decided not to wake up her brother. Walking towards Principal Sheppard's offices, accompanied by two of her guards, Alexis relived what had transpired only a few hours ago. She needed to talk to Jaden – to see how he was doing. He'd taken the defeat pretty hard. Alexis shook her head indistinctly.

'_No_,' she reminded herself, '_it was a tie_.'

She stopped when she reached Sheppard's headquarters and knocked.

"Come in," came Principal Sheppard's muffled answer.

Alexis went in and her two guards stationed themselves outside.

"You wanted to see me, Principal Sheppard?"

He nodded, waving a hand at one of his chairs.

"Have a seat Miss Rhodes," he proposed. "I wanted to talk to you personally about what happened last night."

Alexis sat down.

"What did you want to talk about, sir?"

Principal Sheppard eyed Alexis critically for a moment, searching for the right words.

"Alexis, I'm going to be frank with you," he started. "What Jaden did last night was foolish, albeit his heart was in the right place."

Alexis sank deeper into her seat, uncertain as to whether or not she should comment on Principal Sheppard's statement.

"He was only trying to help," she defended.

Principal Sheppard sighed.

"I know, Alexis," he said. "Like I said, his heart was in the right place. I'm just afraid that what he did only fanned the flames. It merely fueled the Shadow Rider's interest in you. You are in greater danger now than you were before."

Alexis licked her lips nervously, waiting for him to go on.

"If they were after you before," he persisted. "Nothing will stop them from coming after you, now. That duel with Jaden was icing on the cake for them."

"But isn't it possible that even if Jaden had won the duel, they'd still be after me?" she countered. "They're Shadow Riders. I doubt if they've ever gone through with a promise. Let alone a deal."

Principal Sheppard nodded.

"Yes, it is very possible," he agreed. "I'd say probable. But you should be glad Jaden _didn't_ win the duel. If he had, it would have looked very bad for the Shadow Riders. It wouldn't have just fanned the flames, it would have set the whole thing on fire."

All the metaphors he was handing Alexis were just about to give her a headache. But she understood what he was trying to say. If Jaden had beaten Dark-Wing, that would have only made the Shadow Riders more outraged.

"So what do you want me to do, sir?"

Principal Sheppard got up and rummaged through the drawers of his desk. He pulled out a small crystal necklace with a thin, black rope as a chain and held it out for Alexis.

"This," he said, "is a tracking device. I want you to wear it at all times. That way, I – along with your guards – will be able to know exactly where you are, should you be in any form of danger."

Alexis took the necklace and held it her hands. The crystal was incredibly small.

"But it's so tiny," she noted, as she clipped it on. "How does it work?"

Principal Sheppard pulled out a palm-sized remote control from his suit pocket and pointed it at the wall facing opposite of his desk. Alexis turned around. The wall disappeared and was replaced with four sets of flat screen monitors. Principal Sheppard turned the monitors on, and up popped a map of the entire school.

"There is a certain program I had installed this morning that allows me to see exactly where you are at all times through the use of that small, crystal pendant," he explained. "All I have to do is enter the pendant's code – which is your name and date of birth – and there you are."

After he'd enter the code, a small white dot illuminated itself on the screen, signaling she was in the principal's office. Accompanying the white dot was a small box of text describing the where she was. And right then, the white, blinking dot told her she was in 'Principal Sheppard's headquarters, south east wing of the school'.

"Now, the battery in that necklace only last for 30 days, so you'll need to come back once a month to get them changed," he continued to clarify. "The crystal also has an emergency state. If you are ever in dire need of assistance, all you need to do is squeeze the crystal."

He waited expectantly for her to do so. She did, and her little white dot turned red and became about and inch bigger. The box not only read her location, but also said in big, bold letters: ALERT!

"You can stop its emergency state by squeezing the crystal again," he told her.

Alexis gave the gem another squeeze, and the ALERT signal vanished. Principal Sheppard turned the monitors back off. He sat down and waited for Alexis to do the same.

"This isn't the only cautionary step we will be taking to insure your safety, Miss Rhodes," he said.

Alexis looked at him curiously.

"What else do you want me to do?" she asked.

Principal Sheppard leaned back into his leather chair, looking at his prized Obelisk blue student thoughtfully.

"I want you to take dueling and self-defense lessons," he stated.

Alexis faltered.

"Dueling lessons, sir?" she questioned.

The self-defense lessons, she understood, but dueling? She already knew how to duel. Didn't he say so himself that she was one of best female duelists of the school?

"I know the dueling lessons seem rather . . . unnecessary," he observed. "But I want you to up your skills. I want you to be able to handle anything these Shadow Riders throw at you. Should one of them ever challenge you to a duel, I want you to beat them."

Alexis wanted to argue, but she knew she couldn't. It would have been like saying she wanted the Shadow Riders to catch her.

"I want to say time is limited," Principal Sheppard remarked. "However, the truth is, time is unpredictable. We have no idea when these rogue duelists will strike, so I need to get you started on these lessons as soon as possible. Today in fact. Be in the duel auditorium at noon. You'll duel first, and then you'll learn self-defense."

Alexis hesitated before asking.

"Who will be teaching me?"

"I've arranged for Zane Truesdale to help in your dueling," he answered. "I trust you'll be able to learn a lot from him. And I'll find someone to instruct you in self-defense."

Alexis nodded in understanding. She was about to leave when Principal Sheppard called her back.

"Get some rest, Alexis," he recommended. "You'll need your energy this afternoon."

"I will," she promised.

'_But first_,' she thought to herself, '_I need to find Jaden_.'

_**(A/N)**_

_**Okay, so not much happened here, I know. It's slightly shorter than the rest of my chapters. This was sort of a filler chapter. I guess you can say it sets the stage for the next chapters to follow. But no need to worry, my next chapter will be better. Lol. Didn't I promise that in the last chapter? But I do promise, it'll get more interesting.**_


	7. Overcast

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 7: Overcast**

_**(A/N) Yes, I'm back. Kinda, Sorta. If you've forgotten what happened in this story, I suggest you reread a few chapters.**_

Alexis walked through the corridors of Duel Academia, fiddling with her new tracking device – anxious, but determined to talk to Jaden. She'd already gone to his dorm, but he wasn't there. So by process of elimination, that meant he was either in the duel auditorium, or outside. There were only so many places to go on their island school.

The doors to the auditorium were wide open, as it always was on weekends. Students were scattered everywhere – socializing, observing, and dueling. Unfortunately, Jaden wasn't one of them.

"Only one place left," she muttered to herself.

She'd considered giving him a call, but she knew he wouldn't pick up. He was Jaden Yuki, after all. And 'stubborn' was his middle name.

Looking over her shoulders, she could see one of her bodyguards trailing 3 meters behind her. Alexis wished their principal hadn't assigned them to follow her. Wasn't the tracking device enough? What really concerned her the most were people's reactions to her men in blacks. All of them were clad in suits noir with matching sunglasses and had obvious wires sticking out of their ears. Cliché, but true. Mike, the one shadowing her, had a buzz cut and towered over most every student. So far, people had been too preoccupied with their own state of affairs to notice her 6'4" one. Alexis could only hope it would last that way forever.

Outside, the sun was shining, the clouds were fluffy and full, and everyone had a smile on their face. Alexis missed that. Smiling. She couldn't remember the last time she had a genuine, pure, smile on.

Lost in her reminiscing, she didn't hear the soft footsteps treading just ahead of her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Alexis refocused her foggy eyes and looked up at the familiar voice.

"I only accept quarters," she riposted.

Zane crossed his arms, slightly amused. He wasn't wearing his dorm colors, and instead was adorning a pair of loose dark blue jeans and a form fitting black polo shirt. Alexis was about to ask him why he wasn't in his uniform, but then she remembered he didn't go to school with them anymore. Plus, it was the weekend. Students were free to wear whatever they preferred then.

"Shouldn't you be resting? Your training starts this afternoon."

Alexis ignored his question.

"Hey, we match," she noted, pointing between their outfits.

It was true; they did match. She was wearing a denim skirt with a body-hugging black V-neck sweater.

Zane disregarded her comment and gave her a pointed look.

Alexis rolled her eyes.

"I'm not tired," she said in response to his previous question.

He arched an eyebrow.

"Those dark circles under your eyes suggest otherwise," he retorted.

Alexis sighed.

"Have you seen Jaden?" she asked.

Zane tilted his head a little, eyeing her meticulously.

"You can't help him, Alexis," he said, reading her mind. "He needs to deal with this on his own."

Alexis shook her head stubbornly, her hands balled into fists.

"No, he doesn't," she countered. "He doesn't need to deal with anything on his own. What he _needs_ is to know his friends are beside him. He needs to know it isn't his fault."

Zane leaned against one of the pillars outlining the walkway.

"He does know that," he said. "But he hasn't accepted it yet."

"Then I'll make him accept it," she asserted. "So, do you know where he is?"

Zane remained quiet for a few seconds, weighing his options. But he knew nothing would stop the Obelisk Queen from getting what she wanted. Once she set her mind to something, she saw it through to the very end.

He aberrantly slumped his shoulder in defeat.

"He's on the beach, over at the north pier," he told her.

She gave him a half smile, before heading in that direction, with her bodyguard in tow. She was a few feet away when she turned around called out his name.

"Thanks!"

Zane shook his head, a small smile gracing his lips at her retreating figure.

"No problem," he answered softly. "No problem."

Alexis' heels sunk into the white sand as she bit back a curse. Every girl had a fanatical fad or two. Hers were boots and skirts. But at that moment, her black leather boots were not cooperating with her. She grumbled and blew her dirty blond bangs out of her line of sight as she took another step forward, onto the beach.

The loud sounds of waves crashing and the salty smell of the sea were comforting. But Alexis had not come there for relaxation. The pier was right in front of her, although it was obvious no one was on it. She looked in every direction, searching for some sign of Jaden. He was nowhere to be found. The only other person that seemed to be with her at that moment was Mike, who was still keeping his procedural distance and stood a few yards behind her in the woods.

Well, there was one thing she hadn't tried yet. She cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Jaden!" she called. "Jaden!"

The only response she got was the unappealing squawks of a flock of seagulls.

She took a deep breath and tried again.

"Jad–"

"Up here, Lex," a voice cut her off.

Alexis spun around and was greeted with Jaden's murky brown eyes. He was sitting on a low branch of the tree behind her, one foot dangling carefree and the other pulled close to his chest, propping his arm. He was still in his Slifer Red outfit. Alexis briefly wondered if her fashionably challenged friend had any other clothes besides his school uniform.

She shook her head free of her trivial thoughts.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," she said, holding back the scold in her tone.

Jaden shrugged his shoulders and scratched his head.

"Yeah . . ." he replied. "Sorry about that."

Alexis walked up to the tree and stood right below him.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Jaden's gaze drifted from hers and locked onto the ocean's foamy waves.

"Just thinking," he said.

Alexis' lips twitched.

"That must hurt," she teased.

She could see him refraining from a smile as he shook his head.

All Alexis could do was twiddle her thumbs as she watched her friend get lost in his own thoughts and guilt. She chewed her lips, feeling somewhat useless. She was torn between just walking away and running up the tree to give Jaden a good lashing. A long silence passed between them until she couldn't take it anymore.

"It's not your fault," she blurted out.

Jaden stopped whatever he was mulling over and looked at Alexis in bewilderment.

"What?"

The normally confident girl suddenly felt very vulnerable and exposed as she bit her lip.

"It's not your fault," she repeated. "Dark–Wing. The duel. The bet. The tie . . . you can't blame yourself for what happened."

Jaden slouched back into the trunk of the tree looking as crestfallen as ever.

"I gave you my word that everything would be alright. I promised I'd keep you safe, and I didn't. I broke my promise."

Alexis' heart nearly broke.

"No, Jade . . ." she sighed, using his nickname cautiously. "You didn't break anything."

"How could you say that?" he fumed. "I _promised_ you. Then I fell for his trap. And now look where we are. That Shadow Rider is after you, and it's all my fault."

"No it isn't," she argued.

"Yeah, it is!" he cried, fire in voice and eyes. "It's my fault. I couldn't protect you!"

Alexis felt something burning inside of her as well. She loved her friend dearly, and was sympathetic toward his feelings, but all his self-pity was seriously getting on her nerves.

"I'm not a D-I-D, Jaden," she snarled.

"I know you're not," he bit back, caught up in the moment.

Then he faltered, blinking rapidly in confusion.

" . . . What's a D-I-D?"

Alexis gaped and nearly toppled over thin air. She had a sudden urge smack him and laugh all at once.

"What?" she asked, uncertain if she'd heard him correctly.

"What's a D-I-D?"

"Damsel in distress," she answered.

A look of enlightenment replaced his former anger.

"_Oh_."

He paused and looked at her.

"Well, you're definitely not a 'damsel'," he observed.

Annoyance dissipated, Alexis exhaled noisily.

"Jaden?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know what a 'damsel' is?"

" . . . Yeah."

"Really?"

" . . . No."

A small chuckle found its way through Alexis' lips.

"You're laughing," Jaden stated.

"Yeah," she agreed. "I am."

Jaden smiled.

A comfortable feeling passed through them. Jaden was back to normal.

'_Well, as normal as a guy like him can get anyway,_' she thought to herself.

He jumped off the branch and landed with a soft 'thud' onto the sand, right in front of Alexis.

A wide grin had settled on his face.

"Want to go back and look for the others?" he suggested.

Alexis smiled.

"Sure," she said.

But their peaceful moment was short lived. A small scuffling sound came from the trees behind Alexis. She twisted around, seeking out the source of the disruption.

"What was that?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Jaden said.

Another scuffle noise, but this time, a grunt followed. Alexis' heart started beating faster and her hands grew clammy. She took a step back from the trees and stood behind Jaden. It was that feeling again. The same one she got in the pit of her stomach when she saw Principal Sheppard walk into her classroom and the same one when Syrus had phoned her and told her Jaden was missing.

"Uh, Lex?"

Alexis glanced at Jaden out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah?"

"Where's that bodyguard that was following you?"

Relief flooded through her veins. How could she forget Mike, her protection?

"He's right over . . ." Alexis halted. " . . . there?"

She pointed to an area of the woods to their right, where Mike _should_ have been. But wasn't.

A small, ominous breeze blew by.

Alexis gulped. The feeling she had worsened.

"Mike?" she called out. "Mike, where are you?"

No answer.

And another gust of wind came by.

Alexis and Jaden exchanged a look of panic and worry. The same thought went through their heads. Something bad had happened to Mike.

Jaden took a sudden step towards the woods, and Alexis immediately grasped his arm, pulling him back.

"Where do you think you're going?" she hissed.

"Why are you whispering?" he murmured back.

She dug her nails deeper into Jaden's arm.

"_I don't know_," Alexis gritted through her teeth.

He ignored the pain caused by her sharp, manicured cuticles and took another step forward. Alexis had no choice but to follow him.

They weren't but a few yards into the fairly dense forest when Alexis notice something out of the corner of her eye. She unlatched herself from Jaden and stared at what appeared to be a pair of sunglasses.

Black sunglasses.

Alexis picked it up and examined the spectacles. The glass was cracked and the frames were completely broken. It looked like an elephant had trampled over it.

"Oh my– "

"Hey, Lex! Over here!"

Alexis jumped at Jaden's cry, dropping Mike's sunglasses in the process. She ran towards his voice just a couple meters away.

Jaden stood somewhat hunched over a large mass of . . . something, Alexis wasn't quite sure what.

And she wished she'd been left in the dark.

Alexis gasped and choked back tears the moment Jaden turned around to reveal an unconscious Mike.

Her bodyguard lied there, unmoving and awfully pale. His eyes were wide-open, pupils blank. He looked the same way her other guards looked when she'd found them with her brother the night Jaden went missing. He looked like the life had been sucked out of him.

"Is he . . ." Alexis gulped, almost afraid to ask.

"No," Jaden said. "He's still breathing."

Alexis licked her lips and placed a hand over her racing heart. He fingers instinctively ran over her crystal pendant – her tracking device.

The wind started picking up once more, this time stronger. She looked up at the sky, and noticed that the sun was no longer shining. Thick, gray clouds were beginning to form and a small rumble could be heard from the far off distant.

"Do think whoever did this is still around?" she asked Jaden, still staring at the overcast sky.

He shook his head, looking at her with apprehension.

"I don't know. Maybe."

Alexis' eyes skimmed over Mike's pasty face before she glimpsed down at her glittering, diamond-like gem.

"Do you think this an emergency?"

Jaden was taken aback.

"I – um, well, _yeah_."

Alexis nodded slightly.

"Ok."

And she squeezed her pendant.

_**(A/N) And I'm slowly getting back to my stories. I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. I'm in my senior year of high school right now, and I need to focus on my AP's and college applications. Hopefully, you'll see another chapter out by the middle of next month. Hopefully. And the pairing is still a surprise.**_


	8. The Storm Is Brewing

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 8: The Storm Is Brewing**

Everything that happened after Alexis had squeezed her pendant was a blur. Almost three-dozen guards showed up in less than 45 seconds, along with Principal Sheppard, Atticus and Zane trailing right behind. How her brother and Zane found out, she didn't know. She'd barely noticed them, anyway. Her focus was on Mike, laying virtually lifeless less than a foot away from her boots.

'_Not again_,' she thought fearfully. '_Not again_.'

A familiar and comforting hand was gently rubbing her right shoulder, tugging her back and trying to pull her away from the sight of her bodyguard. But she couldn't move. She watched in a trance as three guards knelt next to Mike, checking his vital signs and attempting to wake him up.

"Alexis."

She ignored him.

"_Alexis_," Zane called again, twisting her shoulder even harder.

"Lex, c'mon," Jaden tried also.

The sound of a loud, booming thunder broke through the sky and through Alexis's reverie. She looked up at the dark gray clouds that were threatening to pour.

"Miss Rhodes," Principal Sheppard's voice roared.

Alexis blinked and snapped her head around, coming face to face with her principal. Or rather, it was face to crown. He was short, after all.

"Miss Rhodes," he repeated, this time much more kindly. "Please allow these guards to escort you back to school. I want you to wait for me in my office while I take care of . . . this."

She nodded in reply, and started walking through the woods, back to campus. Atticus, Zane, Jaden, and the rest of the guards hurried to keep up with her.

A flash of lightening went through the sky, followed by another powerful rumble. A few moments later, it began raining cats and dogs.

"Dude! Hurry up before my hair gets drenched!"

Her brother was following Jaden somewhat sourly, attempting to not run the poor Slifer right over for fear of his 'precious mane getting totally soaked, man!'

In which Jaden retorted, "But you surf! You _always_ get your hair wet!"

Alexis emitted a small growl as she slammed open the doors to the school. Needless to say, she was in no mood for her brother's antics at the moment. The pitter-patter of feet and splashing of wet soles echoed through the halls.

All four teenagers were sopping with rainwater. Something Atticus was not happy about. He quickly shook off his light jacket and wringed it free of water as the group made their way to Principal Sheppard's office. But the second he got a look at his sister, he pushed the thought of his ruined clothes aside. His appearance became the last thing on his mind. Alexis had a strained expression on her face. She looked like . . . well, to put it lightly, she looked like she was going to be _sick_.

Atticus sidled up next to her and gave her a little nudge.

"Hey," he greeted gently. "You going to be okay, Lexi?"

Alexis nodded, as another roll of thunder resounded, followed by several streaks of lightening, and some more thunder.

"I think so," she said.

'_Liar, liar; pants on fire_,' her thoughts taunted. She willed the voices in her head to quiet down.

Atticus squeezed his sister's arm comfortingly. She acknowledged his small act of sympathy with a weak smile. He wanted to ask her what happened, but he had a feeling she wouldn't answer him. At least, not while the guards were around. The rest of the walk was spent in silence.

They reached Principal Sheppard's head quarters and one of the guards shadowing them stepped forward to enter the access code, allowing the kids to enter. Alexis felt an odd sense of déjà vu as she was the first to step in, followed by Atticus, Zane and Jaden. The guards, once again, positioned themselves outside.

The instant the door closed behind Jaden, Atticus rounded on his sister.

"What happened?" he demanded.

The girl was taken aback. Of all the things she expected her brother to say, she had to admit, she knew he would ask her that question. What she wasn't expecting, however, was the harsh tone he discharged.

Alexis shook her head, trying to free herself from the shock.

"I . . . don't know," she replied.

Zane took a stance next to Atticus and crossed his arms.

"You don't know what happened to your guard?" he questioned in a manner that was surprisingly gentler than her brother's.

Alexis momentarily wondered if they had switched personalities when she wasn't looking.

"Uh, guys? I think it's pretty obvious what happened to the guy," Jaden voiced.

Three heads snapped around and glared at him heatedly. Jaden shrunk back at the unanticipated reaction of his fiends and parked himself on Principal Sheppard's sofa cushions.

"I'm just saying . . ." Jaden pouted.

Alexis sighed.

"I really don't know," she said, going back to their previous question. "One minute he was there, and then the next, he wasn't."

Atticus scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"Then how did you find him?" Zane speculated.

"We heard some weird noises coming from the woods," Alexis said.

"Weird noises?" Zane and Atticus asked simultaneously, urging her to elaborate.

Alexis nodded.

"It sounded like someone was struggling," she said, raking her mind for more details. "That was when I noticed Mike was missing. So Jaden and I went into the woods to investigate."

She glanced at Jaden, and almost rolled her eyes when she discovered he was still in a silent, brooding funk.

"Jaden and I found him on the ground . . ." Alexis unconsciously gulped. " Just like the other guards."

Thunder clapped and crack once more, lightening sparked, and the pouring rain cascaded deafeningly.

Zane and Atticus ceased their interrogation after they exchanged looks of resignation. Both knew no answers were going to come from Alexis and Jaden. They knew as much as the other two.

Alexis ambled toward the tall windows, her wet boots making squishy noises on their principal's carpet. It didn't even look like it was raining anymore. She couldn't even make out the individual streaks of drops. The heavy shower looked more like a heavy waterfall. And noise was worse. It sounded like millions in tons of pebbles and sharp pieces of rock colliding forcibly against the roof.

She shuddered. The entire situation was like the climax to some clichéd horror movie. '_What's next? Was the electricity going to go out?_' she mused cynically.

Another defining explosion of thunder went along with her thoughts, and another flash of lightening.

And then the lights wavered.

Alexis blinked. She averted her eyes from the rain and glanced at the lights.

"Did the lights just – "

Before she could finish the sentence, and incredibly piercing

thunder rumbled, and the lights flickered and went out completely. They were engulfed in complete darkness. '_Way to jinx yourself, Lexi_,' she thought resentfully. Alexis couldn't make out her own hands, which she assumed were right in front of her. But her line of sight was complete blackness, so how could she know for certain?

She wondered where everyone was.

"Whoa," came the boyish voice to her far left.

'_Well, that takes care of Jaden_,' she thought.

"Atty?" she called tentatively. "Zane?"

"We're here, Lexi," her brother responded. "You're still in front of the window, right?"

"Yeah."

Alexis could hear the sounds of spongy shoes sweeping against the rug. She imagined it was Atticus, Zane, and Jaden, trying to find one another in the dark.

"Try to look for a flashlight in Principal Sheppard's desk," Zane directed. "And we'll look for the door."

He sounded a lot closer than she'd presumed.

Alexis reached out blindly, taking a cautionary step forward. Her eyes were slowly starting to focus again, and she could make out the rough edges to what she hoped was Principal Sheppard's desk. When she finally acquired her target, Alexis let out a sigh of relief.

"Found it!" she announced happily.

"A flashlight?" Atticus asked.

"Oh! Uh, no . . ." she said sheepishly. "The desk."

The Obelisk Queen was willing to bet a lot of money that Zane had rolled his eyes at her in the moment. She began opening the drawers, searching aimlessly for some form of light source.

"How can I figure out the 'open' button if I can't even see it?" Zane asked rhetorically.

Alexis looked up, seeing the outline of three boys all hunched over. She had a weird feeling that Zane's question was directed at Jaden.

"Well, you can _feel_ it," Jaden reasoned.

Yep. She was right.

"People, this is neither the time nor the place," Atticus stepped in before Jaden could get a tongue-lashing from Zane.

Alexis decided to ignore their bantering and continued looking for a flashlight.

Someone began pounding on the door.

"Yo! Uh . . . Lexi's secret service! Anyone out there?" her brother beckoned, and continued clobbering the door. "_Hellloooo!_"

Silence replied.

And there was only one drawer left that Alexis hadn't checked. Her M.I.A bodyguards prompted her to want a bat to protect herself more than a flashlight to see in the dark, really. Fingers crossed, she pulled the last drawer open and rummaged through random articles of staples, paperclips, and miscellaneous files. She was on the verge of giving up when she noticed a long, rod-like object tucked away in the right corner of the drawer. How could she have missed it? Chastising herself mentally, Alexis pulled out the flashlight and turned it on.

"It's always the last place you look," she muttered, irritated but thankful nonetheless.

"You found one?" Jaden cried cheerfully. "Great!"

She shined the flashlight in his direction.

"Ah!" he cried again, using his hands to shield his face from the beam. "_Not_ great. You're blinding me!"

Alexis would have laughed if she hadn't been completely terrified that some form of the boogeyman was going to jump around the corner. Now able to see where her friends were and where she was going, Alexis quickly rushed towards them. Zane took the flashlight from her and directed its ray on the door panel. He pressed the 'open' button again and again, practically hammering it with his hands, but nothing happened.

"It probably went out with the lights," Zane observed, rubbing his hands together to stop any possible swelling. "We'll just have to wait until Principal Sheppard shows up."

"But the guards aren't even answering," Alexis countered. "What if something has happened to them?"

She asked the question on everyone's mind.

Zane sauntered over to their principal's desk and set the flashlight upright allowing the light to shine on a spot on the ceiling, giving the room just enough light to cast some poor shadows so the young duelists could see.

Suppressing a sigh, Alexis made her way back to the window.

"Um, guys?"

Everyone turned to look at Jaden.

"Is it just me, or is it quieter than usual?"

Alexis, Atticus, and Zane swapped looks of puzzlement, which were soon proceeded by expressions of enlightenment.

"There's no more thunder," Alexis pondered aloud.

She gazed out the large windowpanes, her hand pressed lightly against its cool surface. The thunder and lightening may have stopped, but the rain was still coming down, harder than ever.

Alexis trembled and shivered, but this time, it wasn't out of fear.

"It's getting colder," she mumbled to herself.

"What was that, sis?" Atticus asked.

"I said it's getting colder," the blonde Obelisk repeated.

Jaden heaved a loud sigh. His eyes broadened when he saw his breathe coming out in a puff of white air. He'd noticed the drop in temperature, but he hadn't realized it was _that_ cold. He'd just assumed it was from them having been in the rain.

A trail of goose bumps went up and down Alexis's arms. She started rubbing them methodically, breathing out her own wisps of white oxygen. This was getting ridiculous. It shouldn't have been that cold. Alexis was no meteorologist, but she knew something was extremely off.

"What's taking Principal Sheppard so long?" Jaden wondered.

Alexis disregarded his question, not knowing the answer herself. She leaned her body close to the towering windows, her right hand pressed against the extremely cold glass. It felt like the temperature was dropping by the minute. Alexis took in a deep breath; only to have her nose and her mouth burn painfully from the freezing air. Her fingers were growing numb, her lips were felt frozen, and she couldn't even tell if she was still capable of blinking.

She arbitrarily glanced down at the hand that was still on the windowpane, and gasped. But due to arctic atmosphere, it sounded more like a wheeze. Icy particles were forming around her fingers. They were covering the entire window – all eight feet of it. Alexis immediately dropped her hand from the glass, leaving behind an impression. Three seconds later, a sheet of ice edged its way through the imprint, jacketing it completely. She could no longer see the rain through the ice-covered window.

Too shaken to process any rational or intelligent thought in her head, Alexis unconsciously backed away from the window, collided with the desk right behind her, and knocked over the flashlight. A sharp and intense ache resulted in her thighs from the impact.

"Crap," she muttered angrily.

Jaden, Zane and Atticus hurriedly made their way to Alexis.

"Alexis, what's going on?" her brother asked, worried. "You okay?"

Zane picked up the flashlight and set it back on the table.

"I'm fine," she managed to rasp, briefly wondering why the cold wasn't effecting everyone else as much as it was her.

Alexis walked around the canopy desk and headed toward the sofa. The three boys glanced amid themselves, apprehensive expressions on their faces.

"Lexi, are you –"

But Atticus was cut short when a tiny quiver shook the room. Everyone halted briefly, eyes wide with alarm.

Alexis released a small gulp of air, her breath still coming out in thick, white clouds.

"What was that?" she questioned.

"An earthquake?" came Jaden's guess.

No sooner had he said those words, than another quake went the place, rougher than the first one. So violent that it almost knocked Alexis off her feet. She staggered, endeavoring to straighten up, but found it hard to do because of her numb muscles. It was straining to move, and took a lot of physique work out of her.

Alexis felt like she was getting weaker and weaker by the moment, but whether or not it was from the sub-zero temperature, she didn't know. She fell to the ground on her hands and knees, struggling to stay awake.

"Lexi!" three voices exclaimed.

She closed her eyes tightly, recoiling from the sting that surged between every other muscle. The fatigue was taking its toll on her. Breathing was getting to be a burden. Ice-cold oxygen seared her lungs when it should have been relaxing her. Spider-like chills crept through out her body, and pupils began dilating. Everything was growing fuzzy with her tears. She felt like she was sinking in quicksand. No matter how hard she tried to stand, she couldn't get up. And the more she labor she exerted, the faster she sank.

'_It hurts so much_,' Alexis groaned, clutching her heart. '_Why isn't anyone helping?_'

Alexis looked up, and was petrifies by what she saw. Or rather, by what she couldn't see. Her surroundings were total darkness. Where was her brother? Zane? Jaden? There should have been some light from the flashlight, but there wasn't. She looked down, and realized that the sinking feeling she had wasn't just a mind game. She really was sinking, straight through the carpet. Panic filled her. She used what little of her strength she had left in an attempt to pull her hands out from the weird whirlpool of black that was pulling her in.

She growled, biting her bottom lips so brutally she drew blood. Every time she pulled, the darkness pulled her back in. She took a deep breath, allowing the pain to gush through her lungs, and gave one final, mighty yank. The force and release of her jerk was so strong, she was able to stand up clumsily from it. Alexis waved her arms, balancing herself.

"Atty!" she cried desperately, her voice hoarse from its dryness. "Zane! Jaden!"

Where was everyone?

Alexis resolutely wrenched her right leg from the murky vortex, and stumbled forward in a surprise when she found that she was no longer stuck in some freaky form of quicksand. The swirling vortex that was just under her feet a moment ago had disappeared for some reason, and returned to the normal carpeting. Where it went, she didn't care. She had to find her friends. How could they just disappear into thin air?

"Atty!" she tried again, treading two steps sightlessly into the darkness. "Guys, where are you?"

All she got in return was her own haggard breathing. But a moment later . . .

"_Lexi . . ._"

Alexis swiveled around, searching for a face. The voice sounded so far away. She kept took another step, calling out to her friends again.

"Can anyone hear me?"

"Lexi . . ."

The voice was getting stronger, and more familiar.

"Atty!" she practically screeched.

"Lexi!"

Alexis rushed toward the voice, only to slam against something warm and damp. Muscular arms wrapped themselves around her to steady her.

"Alexis?"

"Zane?"

Relief flooded through her system. She had never been so happy to run into her strong and silent friend.

"Alexis!" another pair of arms grabbed her smothered her in a fierce bear hug. "You're okay!"

She sighed, and returned her brother's embrace.

"Hey, Lex!" greeted a very happy Jaden behind Atticus. "Long time no see."

Alexis smiled.

"What happened?" Zane inquired. "We saw you collapse, and then the room just went black."

"I don't know," she replied, unsure if she should say something about that strange whirlpool-quicksand.

Atticus took a small step back, and finally released her after a few more seconds. Through the shadows, Alexis could tell he was giving her that same look he had given after she'd dueled Titan – one that was full of love and gratefulness.

The moment did not last long, however. For immediately afterward, something heavy and powerful seized Alexis's right leg; so heavy and powerful that it toppled and threw her to the ground. She let out a shriek as she smashed against the soft carpet, and didn't have long to suffer from the bruises that she knew were forming on her body before she felt her herself being dragged away from her friends, who wearing looks of pure terror and confusion as they ran after her.

"Alexis!"

_**(A/N): Well, as Jaden said, long time no see, huh? I can't tell you how long it took me to write this chapter. I dragged it out especially long to make up for the wait. So a big 'thank you' to the loyal readers who have been hanging in there. If you're still interested, the next chapter should reveal the pairing.**_

**_(A/N) No. 2: This is special sneak preview of my next story, which will hopefully come out at the beginning of 2007. The idea has been going through my head for about two weeks now. Tell me what you think! I can't guarantee that the plot will stay EXACTLY the same, but there shouldn't be any big changes between now and when I get it posted. But knowing me and my indecisiveness . . ._**

Pending Titles: 'The Boomerang Effect', 'Ill-Fated', or 'Predestined'

Summary: Jaden, Zane, Alexis, Atticus, Chazz, Bastion, Syrus . . . what if it was all preordained? Jaden coming to Duel Academy is the only duelist with a 'strong spirit' (to quote Duel Academia's superintendent), Atticus falling under the Shadow Riders, Chazz and Alexis brainwashed by the White Society, Zane corrupted by power . . . and it was all predestined. What if . . . it all led to this moment? They all have one thing in common: 12 years ago, they witnessed the duel monsters come to life in Domino city . . . and they believed it was more than just a computer malfunction. The cards were stacked, well before they even knew about the game of Duel Monsters. They really **_are_** the next generation. And the summer following their graduation is going to be one **_hell_** of a break.


	9. Gone

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 9: Gone**

_**(A/N) Well, hello there! This is my New Year present to all you loyal fans of this story. Sorry for any bad grammar or misspelled words – I was in a bit of a hurry. Get ready for the pairing! Although, I'm fairly certain most have you've already got it figured out . . .**_

_**Disclaimer: I just realized – I never did put one of these up, did I? So here goes: I don't own YGO GX, because if I did, do you honestly think I'd be here, writing stories?**_

No one saw it coming.

Not a single one of them.

Atticus was on his hands and knees, staring at the white wall in front of him, completely petrified. Jaden, on the other hand, was pounding furiously on the colorless barrier.

"No!" the Slifer red cried, his hammering getting louder and louder by the second. "Give them back!"

Atticus curled his hands into a tight fist, his knuckles turning white. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes. It couldn't be possible. His little sister . . . his best friend . . . _gone_ . . .

_**FLASHBACK**_

"Alexis!" three voices exclaimed in simultaneous horror.

Alexis felt her body being dragged roughly against the carpet. It had happened so fast that she was in a few moments of shock before she'd started fighting back, thus wasting precious time. Her fingers scratched and against the rug as she kicked her legs wrathfully, not caring about the burning and stinging left from her violent attempts. Whatever it was that surrounded her ankle only constricted from her tries, and the hold grew to envelop her calf as well.

Her heart was beating so fast she couldn't even feel it.

"_Atty!_" she screeched, her nails digging so deep into the burgundy floor covering that she actually cracked a couple of them.

Atticus didn't think twice about it. He'd only run a couple steps after her, but made a huge dive for her hands, which were outstretched and scraping madly with the carpet. He hit the ground hard, but his fingers were only able to graze hers lightly before she was yanked away from him.

"Lexi!" he yelled, frustrated and scared.

He'd been so close.

He got up quickly, planning on making another leap when he ran into something solid. What the –

"OW! What the _hell_?" Jaden shouted, agitated.

Apparently, the guy had run into the same problem. An invisible force field encircled the two.

Zane looked back at his friends, but only gave them a fleeting glance. He didn't know how he'd been able to escape from being trapped in the same predicament, but he could have cared less. His focus at the moment was Alexis, whose legs were already half gone in vortex of darkness and shadows that had opened in the wall.

Vice practically oozed from its depths. The shadows were tugging and pulling, and Alexis was using every ounce of strength she had left to fight back.

"_Zane!_" she cried desperately.

Tears stung her eyes as she felt the overdue pain from the searing cuts and grazes on her knees and hands. Her fingers alone were already bleeding from the chafing.

"Alexis!"

And he made a lunge for her – just as her brother had tried a few seconds ago. This time, however, his entire upper body had made contact with her arms. He cringed as he landed on her, knowing he'd probably hurt her.

Zane grabbed both Alexis's arms, gripping her securely.

"Zane!" she gasped, clasping her blood encrusted fingers around his biceps. "Don't let go."

They locked gazes.

"I won't," he promised frantically.

He struggled against the force jerking Alexis's body as he tried to stand, pulling the girl with him.

Alexis let out a yelp as she felt Zane pulling her at one end and the shadows twisting on the other.

Zane growled.

The sucking of the black vortex was so strong that he ended up being thrown to the ground, along with Alexis.

She whimpered from the pain of her knees and elbows making contact with the ground once again, as well as her forehead hitting against Zane's during the fall.

"Sorry," he wheezed, cringing from the hard impact.

Alexis almost dropped her grasp on his arms to slap him upside his head. He was _sorry_? Did he honestly think that a little bump on her head was that bad? It was neither the time nor the place to feel sorry. Most of her body had already been pulled into the shadows, leaving just her head, neck, arms, and shoulders free.

Atticus and Jaden watched the entire event in panic. Jaden kicked the force field angrily.

"Alexis!" her brother shouted, clobbering the invisible wall with his fists. "_Alexis!_"

Zane emitted another growl as he endeavored to stand up once again, straining his muscles in the process. He changed from gripping her forearms to clutching her hands. Using every bit of strength and willpower he had in his body, he sunk his shoes deep in the carpet to create a solid base, and wrenched hard.

Alexis bit her lip fiercely in an attempt to keep from screaming, drawing her own blood at the same time. The harder Zane tried, the harder the shadows fought back. It was then the she realized what they were doing was useless – their attempts were completely futile. There was no point. The dark whirlpool was going to drag her in no matter what. And now, it would take Zane as well.

'_Not if I can help it_,' she thought determinedly. She glanced at Zane's stressed face, and skimmed her eyes over Jaden and Atticus. Fixing her eyes on her brother, she locked gazes with him and mouth two dreadful words that virtually broke Atticus' heart: _I'm sorry_.

Atticus slowly ceased beating up the force field as his fists slackened involuntarily.

"No . . ." he whispered, barely inaudible. "She wouldn't . . ."

"'She wouldn't' what?" Jaden ventured, confused and scared.

'_She _**_would_**,' Atticus' conscience argued back.

Alexis returned her gaze to Zane's pale visage.

"Zane," she rasped. "Stop."

The former Obelisk King almost did a double take, causing him to lose his balance and stumble a bit.

"What?" he demanded, quickly regaining his unyielding grasp on her hands.

"It's pointless," she said remorsefully, with a hint of regret. "You can't fight it – we can't fight it."

Her shoulders had now wholly disappeared into the eddy, leaving just her arms and head.

"What are you saying?" Zane asked, already knowing the answer.

Alexis gave him a small, sad smile.

"Just let me go," she said quietly.

"No."

"You have to – "

"No."

" – if you don't – "

"No."

" – it'll drag you in along with me – "

"No."

" – and I can't let that happen."

"**No**."

Alexis gulped, not being able to stop the tears from cascading down her cheeks like a waterfall. Zane stood his ground, albeit somewhat stubbornly.

"You'll be pulled in, too," she reasoned through her bleeding bottom lip.

"Then I'll be pulled in, too," he gritted, refusing to back down.

She looked at him, tossing him a look between bewilderment and gratefulness – right before the vortex released a loud 'whooshing', livid sound. Needless to say, it wasn't pleasant – not in the least bit. Sparks of electricity and voltage currents started to form in its depths.

Alexis gasped and barely had time to get another look at her brother and Jaden before her whole body was completely swallowed, Zane along with her.

"Alexis! Zane!'

"No!"

And then it was gone. The darkness. The shadows. The vortex. The force field. The moody weather. Every trace of the Shadow Riders – utterly vanished. The lights flickered back on, and the room was silent. Sunlight streaked through the towering windowpanes. Not a single scratch could be seen on the wall.

And it all happened in just five minutes.

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Atticus couldn't hold it in any longer. He let the tears fall freely.

"Lexi . . ."

He'd failed to protect her. He was her big brother, and he wasn't able to do anything. And now the Shadow Riders had her. Along with Zane, who was only trying to help.

Jaden had stopped his fight against the wall and was simply standing there, staring at it with his breathing hard and labored, willing it to open up again and spit out his friends.

It was at the moment the door to Principal Sheppard's office burst open, it's security lock broken and fizzing with sparks. A dozen men donned in SWAT-like uniform ran in, their guns poised in the air, followed by Principal Sheppard, Chazz, Bastion, Syrus, and –surprisingly – Professor Crowler.

They took one look around the room; saw Atticus crumbled on the carpet and Jaden wearing an expression worst than being defeated, and immediately knew something had gone wrong.

"Where is Miss Rhodes?" Sheppard stipulated. "And Mr. Truesdale, for that matter?"

Jaden slowly turned away from the wall he'd been staring at and looked their principal.

"They're gone," Atticus choked, cutting off Jaden before he could say anything. "_They're gone_."

Every head turned to stare at Atticus in dread and disbelief.

There was nothing left to be said.

Nothing could be said.

Silence ensued.

_**(A/N): Okie dokie, folks. And there's another chapter. I know it's not the best, and shorter than the others, so it's a faster read. But I wanted to get this out as I can. Now you've got your pairing. And if Alexis' love interest isn't obvious yet, here's a clue: it starts with 'Z' and ends with 'ane'. And if you're following my other stories, no worries, I'm working on those, too. It's just taking me a looooong time. I know where I'm going; I'm just not entirely sure how to get there (insert nervous laughter).**_

**_(A/N No. 2) Special note to SwordPrincess: you're completely right! I didn't notice how my new story idea reflected the same plotline of Digimon. Hmmm . . . maybe I should change it up a bit? I've already got some stuff planned out, so maybe I'll just twist a couple things around. Maybe not. Thanks for telling me!_**

**_And another note to Poison's Ivy: Hmmm . . . Aster and Alexis? I've actually been contemplating that for a while now. It'd be interesting; I have to admit. Maybe I'll write a one-shot with the two._**


	10. Deal

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 10: Deal**

She felt like she was floating. Her mind was numb; her fingers stroked something unbelievably soft and barely there – like liquid silk. A small groan escaped her lips as Alexis struggled to make sense of her surroundings.

"Where am I?" she wondered out loud, her voice raspy and dry.

Darkness.

Every direction she turned was darkness.

She struggled to stand, the combination of dizziness and velvet shadows taking its toll on her. Memories of what had previously happened flashed through her mind: the thunderstorm, the quicksand of darkness, her brother hugging her, being dragged across the carpet, Zane trying to pull her back . . .

Alexis gasped.

_Zane_.

He didn't let go. He'd gone through with her.

She whipped her head around frantically.

Where was he?

"Zane!" she cried.

It came out to sound more like a hoarse whisper, but the panic was present in her tone and fully loaded.

"Zane!"

"I wouldn't waste my breath, dear."

Alexis nearly jumped out of her own skin at the unexpected taunt. She turned around and came face to face with a pair of bright green eyes. Dark-Wing smirked as she stumbled backwards in surprise and fear.

"You."

"Me," he confirmed.

"Where is he?" she insisted. "What did you do with him?"

The Shadow Rider flicked his wrist in the air in dismissal.

"Oh, Mr. Truesdale is around," he said elusively. "He's being put to good use."

He took a step toward her, and Alexis instinctively wanted to take a step back. But she stood her ground, and stared at the young man in front of her with determination – all the while hoping that he didn't sense the fear practically radiating from her tense body.

"Now, _you_ on the other hand," he continued, "you and I need to have a little talk."

"I'm not doing anything until I know Zane is safe," Alexis bit back.

Dark-Wing's eyes flashed dangerously as he took yet another step toward the blonde.

"Trust me," he said, his accent thick and full. "He's alive and kicking."

Alexis shivered unconsciously at the malice and impatience of his tone. Her hand impulsively reached for her pendant.

"H-how do I know I can trust you?" she trembled. "How do I know you won't hurt us?"

The hardened look in his eyes disappeared and was replaced with a glint of amusement.

"You don't," he replied, his lips quirked in slight mirth. "But trust this: if I was going to kill you, I would have done it already."

Alexis paled.

He sounded so . . . _pleased_.

'_Zane, where are you?_'

That was her last thought before Dark-Wing lunged at her, so fast she was barely able to gasp. Darkness completely enveloped her senses and she fell into abyss.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Murky turquoise eyes stared unabashedly at the individually laid out deck of cards on the table. Each one new and glossy, no human hand having ever used them.

"Well, Mr. Truesdale?"

Zane pulled his gaze from the cards and looked up at the expectant voice.

It was pure temptation for any duelist. Rare, powerful cards not one foot away – winning _guaranteed_.

"Do we have a deal?"

Vice was his name. Dark and brooding, his personality. But he also had the ability to persuade at his disposal.

"No," Zane replied.

Vice was unfazed as he stared at the legendary King of Obelisk Blue.

"No?" Vice echoed, red eyes lustrous and sharp. "Why 'no'?"

"I would never choose a game over a friend," Zane pronounced, unwavering.

At this, the Shadow Rider laughed.

"You think this is a _game_?" he scorned. "Tsk, tsk, Mr. Truesdale. You have no idea how serious your situation is, do you?"

Something inside Zane screamed at him. The man before his eyes was crazy.

"Where is she?" Zane demanded. "What did you do with her? What do _want_ with her?"

"Our _team_ is need of strong, female duelists," Vice explained, playing with the gold chain holding his black robes together. "And so far, out of all the ones we've . . . found . . . she's the most promising. Just as we'd expected."

Zane kept his face calm at this detail, but underneath the table, his hands curled into fists, fingernails sinking deep into his palms as he tried to hold them back from punching the Rider not two feet way from him.

Vice smiled a cold smile then as leaned across the table, noticing the flicker of anger across the duelist's eyes.

"You, on the other hand, we were not expecting," he continued, staring intently right into Zane's turquoise irises. "A bycatch . . . a surprisingly _useful_ bycatch."

Zane tried to suppress a shudder.

"Tell you what Mr. Truesdale," Vice started. "How about we make a deal?"

This caught Zane's attention as he glanced at the Shadow Rider guardedly, silently urging him to continue.

Black, leather gloved hands began collecting the cards displayed on the table into one solid deck.

"If you join our league of Shadow Riders, we'll give your precious Alexis the option of leaving."

Vice pressed forward the now stacked deck of duel monsters cards, the crazed smirk never leaving his face.

"What do you say, Mr. Truesdale?" he prodded. "Do we have a deal?"

Something wasn't right. It was too easy. Vice had clearly stated that he needed strong female duelists, and here he was, willing to let his top pursuit go without a second thought. There was a catch. There had to be.

'_Alexis . . . what do I do?_'

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Principal Sheppard entered the code for the tenth time. But it was no use. The computer couldn't pick up on any reading, and the monitors were blank of any dots signaling the whereabouts of his student.

He sighed, collapsing into his brown leather chair, frustrated.

Fifteen minutes. He'd left them for only fifteen minutes. And now two of his best were gone – captured, taken, _stolen_.

Sheppard could only imagine how their friends were dealing with this. Particularly Atticus.

Guards and security were on the look out, searching every inch of Duel Academia in a pointless attempt. He had to do it, though. He had to tell them to send a search party, because otherwise, it wouldn't have seemed right.

But Principal Sheppard knew they wouldn't be able to find Alexis or Zane. Not unless these guards knew how to find the Shadow Realm.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Atticus tilted the photo frame in his hands, making the sun shine on it at a certain angle and causing a glare effect.

It was an old photograph, taken before Alexis had been admitted into Duel Academia. Before Atticus had fallen prey to the Shadow Riders.

In the picture, Alexis had her arms wrapped securely around Atticus' neck, and her legs dangled off either side of him in a piggyback pose. A huge smile was on her face in obvious laughter, and a huge scowl was on his. She wasn't exactly the lightest little sister around. Zane stood to the side of the photo, watching both of them, his arms crossed, an amused expression on his features. He was clearly enjoying Atticus suffer the weight.

Unexpected tears welled up in Atticus' eyes, and he tried to blink them back.

"Come back," he pleaded quietly – desperately. "_Please_, come back . . ."

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

"Deal."

Zane knew he regretted the word the moment it left his lips.

Vice leered.

He'd just struck a deal with the devil.

_**(A/N): Et voila! Sorry for any grammar errors. I did some parts in a bit of hurry. Hope you found it interesting. I know it's short, so to keep you all interested (if you're currently not), here's a little snippet of the next chapter:**_

"_You said you'd give her the option of leaving!" Zane indicted angrily. "You gave me your word!"_

_Several arms clad in black cloaks emerged from behind and grabbed Zane, holding him back.  
_

"_And I'm sticking to it. However it was you who failed to specify how I would give her the option of leaving."_


	11. Going Through With It

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 11: Going Through With It**

"This is _ridiculous_."

No one answered.

"We're just sitting ducks."

Again, the comment was disregarded.

Chazz snarled. Was anyone even listening?

"Chazz is right, guys."

Every head turned to Jaden.

"Sure, listen to _him_," Chazz mumbled, exasperated.

"We need to do something," the Jaden continued.

"Do what?" Syrus questioned, attitude helplessly despondent.

"Well . . ." he scratched his head. "We can go to the Shadow Realm . . ."

Chazz snorted in response.

"As appealing as the idea is," Bastion considered, "that's not exactly the most . . . _rational_ way to go about this."

"Not unless we can find a train station that sells a one-way ticket to the damn place," Chazz added, sniping.

"Well, we can't just rest on our laurels!" Jaden exclaimed.

Everyone stared at him in shock – partly for his outburst, but mostly for the fact he knew how to use the word 'laurel'.

"We can't just give up," he persisted. "There has to be _something_ we can do."

"Like what?" Chazz argued, ignoring the fact that he'd just said something very similar to what Jaden had said just moments ago. "We don't even know where to start!"

"Guys . . ." Syrus cautioned, feeling the beginnings of another fight.

Throughout this entire conversation, Atticus remained uncharacteristically quiet as he unconsciously fiddled with a Duel Monsters card. Drawn into the dark corners of his own mind, he wasn't completely aware of what was actually going on. But he was fully aware of what he currently held in his hands.

Nightshroud's card.

His 'one-way ticket' to the Shadow Realm.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Zane felt sick.

He felt very, _very_ sick.

The room was spinning. The table and the cards began to dissipate. The chair he was sitting on was gone. And so was Vice.

He clutched his head in agony, the initial stages of a scream attempting to break free from his body. It felt like the room was folding in – collapsing. Zane stumbled around the place, trying to stand still long enough to stop the dizziness. The struggle proved useless as he ended up crumbling on his hands and knees.

A few seconds past by, and he was suddenly able to breathe again. Sweat trickled down his forehead and the nape of his neck. His whole body trembled from the abrupt shock of a stable ground.

The soft clicking of heels resonated in the air, making Zane look up. He then noticed that his 24-_second_ bug had transported him into a duel arena. One that looked very much like the school's.

"Have a fun ride, Truesdale?" Dark-Wing taunted.

Green eyes blazing, he effortlessly pulled Zane up. The quick movement caused Zane to sway from side to side.

Zane shook his head vigorously. "W-where . . . where am I?"

"Let's just call it . . . your school arena's doppelganger."

Zane straightened, wooziness gone, as he stared at Dark-Wing cautiously. "What's going on? Why did you bring me here? Where's Alexis?"

The Shadow Rider held up his hand in mock defeat. "Relax, Truesdale. One question at a time, now."

He grinned maliciously. "If you walk up to the duel arena, I'm sure you'll find the answers to all your problems."

Eyeing Dark-Wing with much caginess, Zane slowly made his way to the dueling stadium. Something in the back of his mind was screaming that he wouldn't like what he found.

There, lying in a heap on the opposing side of the field was Alexis.

He hated it when his instincts were right.

Legs developing a life of their own, he hurried toward her unconscious form. "Alexis!" he cried, embracing her body in his arms and robustly shaking her shoulders.

Her face looked sickly pale, her lips were turning blue, and her body was as cold as ice. But she was breathing. Zane could tell by the rise and fall of her chest. The extremely _slow and small_ rise and fall of her chest.

"What did you do to her?" he growled at Dark-Wing.

The Rider's lip twitched in amusement. "She'll live, if that's what you're asking," he said. "The girl's just trapped in shadows of her mind. She's dreaming – going through ghosts of the past and present and what's yet to come."

Her eyes were darting back and forth beneath her eyelids, indicating that she was indeed dreaming.

Or having a very bad nightmare.

"What do you want from us?" Zane insisted.

Dark-Wing smirked. "I believe you made a deal with us, Kaiser."

Zane blinked. "So . . . you'll let her go?" he questioned carefully.

A light glow emitted from a gold brooch shaped like an eye, pinned to the side of Dark-Wing's black velvet robes. With a snap of his fingers, the light expanded and engulfed the entire dueling stadium.

Zane immediately brought Alexis closer, tucking her head underneath his chin and hugging her body close to protect her from the sudden intensity.

Then it was gone, and the place returned to its dark and foreboding nature.

There was a cross between a choke and a gasp.

"Mmmrfgh . . ."

Zane pulled back and looked down.

Alexis' eyes fluttered open. Her complexion was slowly returning to normal and her lips were beginning to loose their blue tint.

"Alexis?" Zane hadn't realized he'd been holding his breathe.

"H-hey . . ." she croaked, her vision still slightly blurry.

All she could make out were his sea blue eyes, full of relief.

Zane sighed. "Alexis."

Saying her name helped him confirm that she really was there, alive, awake, and safe.

"As touching as this reunion is," Dark-Wing was short of revulsion, "we have a matter to attend to."

Zane stood up, half cradling Alexis in his arms.

"Miss Rhodes," Dark-Wing directed his attention to Alexis. "Mr. Truesdale has kindly offered to stay behind, and in return, you have the option of leaving."

Alexis' body went rigid. "What?" she looked at Zane, her fingers digging into his forearms, silently pleading that she'd misheard.

'_He didn't . . ._'

Zane's eyes met hers in guilt and determination.

'_He did._'

That couldn't be right. The Shadow Riders had spent all this time looking for her, wasted all this energy on her and her alone, and now they were willing to giver her up just because a better offer came along? If they wanted Zane, why didn't they just go after him? Instead, they sought her.

Zane wasn't meant to be trapped with her. He was a notch in their perfect plan. They should have just thrown him out. They already had _her_. And they knew that. But now they were using it to their advantage.

"You're just going to let me leave?" Alexis was unconvinced.

Dark-Wing pulled a duel disk from underneath his robes and tossed in the couple's direction.

It landed right at Alexis' feet.

"Only if you win a duel against me," he declared.

It was the catch.

Zane fumed.

"You said you'd give her the option of leaving!" Zane indicted angrily. "You gave me your word!"

Several arms clad in black cloaks emerged from behind and grabbed Zane, holding him back and pulling him away from Alexis.

"And I'm sticking to it. However it was you who failed to specify _how_ I would give her the option of leaving."

Technicalities. Loopholes.

Alexis looked back and found an angry Zane trying to wrench free from the four Shadow Riders holding him back. She glanced down at the duel disk.

So this was their plan. Not only do they get what they wanted – her, but the get something a little extra – they'd get Zane

'_They know I won't win_,' she thought to herself. '_If the best Jaden could do against this guy was a tie, what chance do I have?_'

"Lexi," Zane's voice was earnest.

Alexis spared a fleeting look at Dark-Wing. He was waiting expectantly.

She picked up the duel disk. A set of new cards, obviously fresh from packaging, was already inserted securely into the slot.

She wouldn't even be playing with her own deck.

"Oh, god," she muttered. "We're screwed."

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

"Jaden."

Each person looked at Atticus in slight amazement. In the several hours they'd been in his room – planning, suggesting, and arguing – he hadn't said a word.

"Yeah?" Jaden replied anxiously.

Atticus stared indomitably at the card in his hand, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes. "I want you to duel me," he told the Slifer.

Everyone stared.

"Um, I don't think this a really good time for a duel," Syrus said, answering for Jaden before he a chance to accept the challenge.

Atticus finally looked up.

His features were set, his mind made up. Ignoring Syrus' comment completely, he locked gazes with Jaden. "Duel me," he dared.

To say that all the occupants of the room were shocked by the tone of his voice and expression on his face would be an understatement. Gone was the carefree attitude, and its place was something dark and threatening.

Syrus all but whimpered when he caught the gleam from the older boy's dark eyes.

Bastion studied Atticus thoroughly before he noticed the deathly hold the brunette had on a card.

"Why?" Bastion's accent boomed.

Atticus toyed with Nightshroud's card for a moment before he tossed it to the calculating Ra Yellow student.

Bastion caught it in mid-air.

He looked intently at the mask depicted on the card. "Oh," he said, throat unexpectedly dry.

Jaden, Syrus, and Chazz gathered around to see what had left Bastion speechless. They gawked, realization dawning on them at what Atticus intended to do.

"A-Atticus!" Syrus stuttered. "You can't be serious."

"I am."

"B-b-but . . ." Syrus didn't know what to say.

"You're out of you're demented, surfer-complex mind," Chazz proclaimed.

"Probably," he agreed and snatched the card back from Bastion. "So how about it, Jade?"

Jaden looked resolutely at Alexis' brother.

He hesitated for a split-second. "You're on."

_**(A/N): I'm really sorry for any grammar or spelling errors. Hope you all enjoyed this installment!**_


	12. Deciding Duels

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 12: Deciding Duels**

"Do you think this will work?"

"Possibly. That card does have the power to bring about the Shadow Realm, only…"

"What?"

"I wasn't there, but _you_ saw the last time Atticus used that card. He almost lost his mind. It's extremely powerful – it may take control of him again."

"But then, we won't just lose my brother and Alexis–"

"We'd lose Atticus, too."

Chazz looked direly from Bastion to Syrus. "So what do we do if that does happen?"

They didn't reply.

Instead, they focused on Jaden and Atticus, standing on opposing sides of the duel arena.

Syrus groaned. "This is too much for me to take in. I'm too little for this kind of stuff."

Bastion let a small smile slip. "Let's hope Atticus knows what he's doing."

Chazz snorted. "He obviously doesn't."

The three exchanged a quick look. Atticus wasn't thinking clearly, they knew that. He'd just lost his little sister and his best friend. His thoughts were jumbled and he was running on pure desperation at the moment. And there was nothing they could do about it.

"Jaden needs to win this duel," Bastion said. "Before that mask takes over Atticus."

Syrus panicked. "So Atticus' fate rests on Jaden's dueling skills?"

Chazz cringed.

Bastion sighed. "In other words, we're either in very good hands…or we're completely screwed."

_**YGOGXYGOGXYGOGX**_

Alexis strapped the duel disk to her arm apprehensively.

Dark-Wing grinned the moment he heard the resounding click. "Excellent."

Alexis frowned, thoughts and questions running amuck in her head. This was the most pointless duel in history. They had her already. And Zane as well. She wouldn't be able to win.

'_What if I just forfeit?_'

No.

She couldn't.

'_But I can't win against him_.'

Alexis closed her eyes for a moment.

She wasn't Jaden - she couldn't win on pure luck. And considering her current predicament…luck was not on her side. She didn't have Zane's nonchalant disposition - no way to keep collected and think with a clear mind. She didn't posses Bastion's calculative mind or her brother's ability to pull tricks out of his sleeves or Chazz's unbeatably high self-esteem or Syrus' quiet determination…

No. All she has was her endurance. The knack to keep going even when she was a point away from losing the duel. She was a hardworking - earning her respects in that way. But stamina would not help her in this duel at all. She didn't have any chance to be familiar with the cards in the slightest bit. Along with that, she was dueling an opponent who had the power to kill her with a snap of his fingers. Even Jaden couldn't win against the redheaded creep.

…She can't win. She could _try_. Oh, in every sense she would try. But the exertion would be wasted.

"Well, Alexis?" The sharp, condescending tone shook her out of her trance. "We're all waiting…"

She stared him straight in the eye.

Dark-Wing's lips quirked. "And quiet honestly, my patience is wearing thin."

Alexis gulped. "Isn't it customary to shuffle decks before a duel?"

'_Lex, you're in for it…_'

A protesting sound was heard from behind her. '_Sorry, Zane_,' she apologized mentally.

"Of course," Dark-Wing smiled wickedly.

They walked toward the middle. Decks were traded, cards were rearranged, and the proper hand was given back to its original owner.

Alexis walked back to her side of the arena, and couldn't stop the uncontrollable shaking in her legs.

"Ready?" Dark-Wing's eyes shined with anticipation.

'_No._'

"…Yeah."

He grinned. "Good."

Alexis stared at he deck in her hands for a fleeting moment before she threw all inhibitions out of her mind and slid the cards into their proper slot.

4000 life points flashed red and starred her down, judging her - berating her for doing something so utterly stupid though it was wholly inescapable.

She caught Dark-Wing's eye. "Game on."

Her voice held no waver.

"Scared?" The Shadow Rider question, drawing the cards from his deck.

"No." She was already in too deep to be scared.

He looked at her, surprised clearly evident in his eyes at the honesty in her voice.

Alexis drew her cards. "If I go down…"she gazed at her opponent intently. "I go down fighting."

_**YGOGXYGOGXYGOGX**_

'_Well, talk about luck of the draw_,' Atticus thought amusedly.

There, right in between his Red Eyes Black Dragon card and Mystical Space Typhoon spell card, was Nightshroud's mask.

Jaden, unaware, drew his cards as well. "I'll start things off!"

He set down two cards. "I play my good old Elemental Hero Flame Wingman in attack mode! And I set another card facedown."

Jaden smiled cheekily at Atticus. "Your move."

Atticus stared at the cards in his hands. This duel was going to end fast.

"I play Red Eyes Black Dragon in defense mode…and I'll also set a card facedown…" He set the card and down the hologram unleashed the ferocious beast.

"Whoa." Syrus watched in awe along with his two companions. "Atticus drew his most powerful card on his first turn."

"Maybe…this will work," Bastion said wistfully.

"Or _maybe_, Attixus just wants to end this as fast as he can," Chazz supplied, arms crossed and staring fixedly at the expression on Atticus' face.

Syrus and Bastion glanced at Chazz, knowing fully well that their usually wrong friend could actually be right for once.

"But that's not all!"

The tenor in Atticus' declaration caused everyone to freeze momentarily.

Jaden - thinking it was his turn, had his right arm outstretched and was about to reveal his facedown card - paused.

Atticus smiled sadly and held up a card. "Say goodbye to this 'surfer-complex'…," he placed the duel card on an available card niche. "And hello to Nightshroud."

Everyone gaped.

The duel disk tightened around Atticus' left arm as black smoke began sizzling and surrounding him. He felt the sudden need to rip the duel disk from his body. A power enveloped him - a strong darkness crept its way around his mind, body and soul. The need to win called out to him. And shadows replaced his once rose colored view of the world. Atticus cringed - suppressing the urge to scream as he tried to hold on to the last ounce of hope he had left in his heart. And finally, he gave. The image his sister the last true, honest to goodness light left in all his thoughts. He tied it mentally with his impulsive drive to win at all cost.

The mask was on.

Nightshroud had taken over.

All witnesses to the event stood in shock, not expecting it to happen this quickly into the duel.

"Damn," Chazz breathed.

"That about covers it," Bastion concurred.

Syrus scrutinized 'Nightshroud'. He stood tall with confidence, just like Atticus, but there was an air about him the was more cynical - abrasive, even. And yet, he didn't seem…well, _malevolent_.

"Something's not right, guys," Syrus voiced his thoughts aloud.

"_Of course _something's not right," Chazz sneered. "Atticus just turned into the King of Damnation."

"He's not a vampire, for goodness sakes," Bastion said exasperatedly.

Syrus shook his head. "No, no. That's not what I meant. Doesn't something seem off to you? I mean, shouldn't Atticus be all…evil and…stuff?"

Chazz spared another glance at the newly formed Atticus. "Dark clothes, willowing black trench coat, wicked mask…looks pretty evil to me," he commented doubtfully.

The small Ra Yellow shook his head again. "I know he _looks_ it, but he doesn't _feel_ it."

Bastion considered what Syrus was saying. "You're right…something does feel a bit off…"

"I think…" Syrus paused, bearing in mind his words carefully. "I think it may be because he used the card voluntarily."

"So perhaps he's not completely…er, transformed?" Bastion suggested.

A nod came his response. "Right," Syrus said. "So since he became Nightshroud out of his own free will, he's got more control than the first time he was Nightshroud-"

"When he was _forced_ to become a Shadow Rider," Bastion finished.

This entire time, Jaden was listening.

"Hey, Atticus!" the Slifer red called out. "You still in there, buddy?"

'Nightshroud' glanced at Jaden, eyes holding a cold tint. "Try another time, Jaden. We have a duel to finish and a few people to rescue."

Jaden blinked.

No, it wasn't Atticus. But it wasn't Nightshroud either.

"Alright," Jaden agreed. "For Lexi and Zane, then?"

A dark dome began to unexpectedly encircle them.

Nightshroud/Atticus nodded slightly. "The Shadow Realm awaits…"

_**YGOGXYGOGXYGOGX**_

"Red Eyes Black Dragon…attack his Y Dragon Head!"

As luck would have it, Alexis ended up with a deck somewhat similar to her brother's. She really wished she'd paid closer attention to all the cards in her brother's deck and found out their special abilities.

Dark-Wing's life points dropped to 3100.

'_Finally_,' Alexis thought infuriatingly.

Four whole turns had passed by and Alexis couldn't inflict a single damage to his life points. Instead, she'd been taking the hits. Her count currently tolled at 1500 life points.

'_I'm not going to make it…_'

Red Eyes Black Dragon returned to her side of the playing field as Dark -Wing recovered from the blow to his monster.

"Very nice, Alexis. You at long last was able to do something."

He was mocking her.

And she had only her Red Eyes Black Dragon on the field. No cards in hand, and half her monsters already sent to the graveyard.

It was his move.

"I draw…" He smirked at the card in his hand. "Tell me my dear, did you learn about the God cards in school?"

Alexis halted.

Dark-Wing took her silence as a 'yes'.

"Ever experienced its strength in real life?"

Again, Alexis remained silent. The inner workings of her mind were kicking into over drive. She couldn't move. Couldn't talk. Couldn't _blink_. It was as if time had stopped.

She knew exactly the kind of card the Shadow Rider was holding.

'_Just forfeit Lexi, just forfeit…_' the voices in her head were getting stronger.

He laughed flippantly. "Speechless?"

"Alexis!"

Zane's shout echoed throughout the shadows. It was frantic - needy. He knew what Dark-Wing held in his hand.

"How did you get your hands on a God card?" Zane demanded. The Shadow Riders holding him back strengthened their hold on him.

That was the same question Alexis had running through her deadened contemplations.

Zane looked ready to pounce.

"The same way we got our hands on your girlfriend, Truesdale."

Alexis flinched.

Zane snarled. "You stole it then. You stole something that wasn't rightfully yours."

"_Some things_, oh great Kaiser. Plural," the Scottish accent dripped with malice. "You honestly didn't think we were stupid enough to go through all this trouble just to steal **one** God card, did you?"

"I was hopeful," Zane muttered.

Dark-Wing leered. "Back to the duel then."

He overlooked Zane's remark and returned his attention to Alexis.

"Time to end this…I call upon Obelisk The Tormentor!"

Colossal, mighty, and virtually unbeatable.

Alexis tried to stand her ground as a massive wind picked up and almost threw her off her feet. She could feel the force - it was already overpowering her and Dark-Wing hadn't even called an attack yet.

She looked up when the strong air current died down.

Obelisk stood before her in all its glory.

Once more, Alexis found herself rooted to a spot, unable to budge and inch.

'_Oh, god…_'

"This duel is over," Dark-wing acknowledged. "And I'd like to say with pride and joy: welcome to The New League Generation of Shadow Riders. Initiation is officially over."

Alexis glanced back at Zane. He too couldn't take his eyes off the God card.

"Obelisk…" The happiness was unmistakable. "Take her down!"

It loomed over her, fist raised in the air…

Alexis used her arms to shield her body as she braced herself.

Zane's protests were muffled by the blare of Obelisk's attack.

In an instant she felt a heavy weight upon her whole frame…her world grew dim…and she fell.

_**(A/N): It's an update. Nothing left to say. Terribly sorry for any grammar/spelling errors. This chapter was (obviously) rushed.**_


	13. Darkness

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 13: Darkness**

Trapped and numb.

Alexis was ensnared in her own senses - her own mind.

She could feel herself opening her eyes. But yet, at the same time, she couldn't feel her herself opening her eyes. It was as if they were moving on their own accord.

She felt like she'd lost all track of time. Her surroundings…she was still on in the duel arena; still sprawled out on its cold, tiled floor.

And…she couldn't remember anything.

No.

No, she could remember a little. She remembered people. Faces. And names associated with said faces.

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty."

Her head snapped up.

Dark-Wing's smile was devious and held promises of vice to come as he crouched down next to her.

"How are we feeling now?" He sounded anything but concerned.

"Fine," Alexis answered monotonously.

But for some reason, it felt out of her control.

Dark-Wing smirked, noticing the slight turmoil behind her brilliant brown eyes. "You in there, Alexis?"

Alexis stared back at him blankly. What was he talking about?

The Shadow Rider chuckled sardonically. He was pleased.

The look on Alexis' face - it was one that could not be replaced. Her eyes. Her eyes said it all. They were no longer the bright, clear brown they once were. Now, they were dark. Murky. Nearly black. And completely and utterly dull.

Like there was no life behind them. No soul.

"I think it's about time we returned you to your friends," his lips twitched. "For a little visit."

"My friends?" she echoed. "A visit?"

What friends? She didn't have friends. What was Dark-Wing talking about?

Dark-Wing nodded solemnly, standing up. "Yes," he said. "You see, we have an agenda to keep, Alexis. And you play a very important role in it."

He held out his hand to her.

She stared at it. The slightest bit of hesitation in her gaze. A shudder went through her hand as she reached from his. It was almost as if it protested. But she ignored it.

This was Dark-Wing, after all. He had only the best intentions for her. Darkness practically radiated off of him. And she was drawn to it.

"There now," he let go of her hand easily. "You and Truesdale have a job to do."

Truesdale.

The name brought an unfamiliar feeling to the pit of her stomach. And her chest. Something ached in her chest at his name.

She knew him. Truesdale.

Was he one of the friends the Dark-Wing spoke of?

The confused look on Alexis' face did not go unnoticed by Dark-Wing.

He smiled unabashedly. "You are one of us now, dear. And a very strong asset to our group. You and Truesdale. Him more, possibly. But that doesn't matter. _You_ will be the means to our conquest."

Alexis nodded, ignoring the nagging and alien sensation in the back of her mind. The Shadow Riders. She was one of them now. And she would help them. She would help them spread the darkness.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX **_

Jaden disregarded the beads of sweat collecting at his eyebrow as focused on Att-_no_-Nightshroud.

"Remember, Jaden. Atticus needs to win," Syrus called out.

"I think he knows that already, shrimp," Chazz gritted through his teeth.

Jaden's life points were down to 900 points, and Atticus' were still at 1700.

Nightshroud was determined to win, Jaden could tell.

_Man, talk about drama_,' Jaden thought forlornly.

"It's your move, Jaden," Nightshroud goaded. "Better make it quick. Although, it looks like there's not much you can do, anyway."

Annoyed, the Slifer drew a card from his deck. It was the Fusion spell card, but it would be of no use to him this turn. He needed to draw another card. Specifically, another Elemental Hero.

Nightshroud was right. There really wasn't much he could do. He had a handful of spell and trap cards, and only one monster on the field.

"I put two cards facedown," Jaden announced grudgingly. "Your turn, Atty."

The nickname clearly struck a chord with Nightshroud. Alexis was the only one who called him that.

He clenched his fists in an attempt to control the overwhelming rush of emotions and memories.

Alexis.

She was the reason he was doing all this.

"I draw, then," Nightshroud pulled a card from his deck.

Jaden watched him in anticipation, thoughts running through his head a mile a minute.

There was one way Nightshroud would be able to win this.

What if Jaden forfeited the game? Granted, he'd never done such a thing before. More specifically, such a thing normally never crossed his mind in all the duels he'd taken place in. It just wasn't in his nature.

But now…

This wasn't a real duel. If anything, this duel was just a cover up. Atticus needed to win to get to Alexis.

And if it meant saving his friends, then Jaden was willing to 'lose' a few duels.

"I place a two cards facedown as well," Nightshroud declared. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack his Elemental!"

Jaden stood unmoving as he watched the only monster he had in his field become shattered to pieces.

His life points dropped to 400.

"What's wrong with Jaden?" Chazz muttered, watching the Slifer recover from the blow. "It's like he's not even putting up a fight."

"That's because he's not," Bastion confirmed.

"But that's not like Jaden at all!" Syrus was worried. "He's just letting Atti - er, Nightshroud, win."

It suddenly dawned on Bastion. "That's it. _He's letting Nightshroud win."_

"He wouldn't," Chazz argued, in disbelief. "This is _Jaden_ we're talking about."

"If his friends' lives are on the line, I hardly think he cares about winning," Bastion countered.

Chazz could not tolerate the idea. "Well, why doesn't he just make it easier on the rest of us and _forfeit_ then?"

Bastion and Syrus glared at him.

"I forfeit."

Everyone froze.

Jaden's announcement hung heavily in the air.

_"What!?_" Chazz nearly shrieked, his tenor going up an octave.

_"You jinxed him!_" Syrus cried out, eyes wide with alarm, pointing an accusing finger at Chazz.

"No, I didn't!" Chazz bolstered.

"Would you two shut up!" Bastion interrupted.

Nightshroud ignored the three of them and their antics. His focus was solely on his opponent, in particular, in his opponent's proclamation.

And he wasn't having any of it. "You _forfeit_?" he mocked, angry. "You can't forfeit. I'm so close to beating you."

Jaden shook his head. "Are you more concerned with beating me, or getting back your sister?"

That struck a nerve.

"Fine," Nightshroud growled.

Both duelists' life points dropped to zero.

Nightshroud had won.

"Oh, man, this better work," Syrus said anxiously. "What happens now?"

All eyes were on Nightshroud.

"Now, I find my sister and my best friend," Nightshroud answered.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX **_

Zane felt drained and barren when he opened his eyes to find himself tied to a chair in an even more barren room. Only a single light bulb dangled from the ceiling.

His mind was blank. He couldn't remember a thing. He couldn't recall anything.

"Ah, you're awake," a voice off to his left said.

Zane glanced over. A hooded figure seemed to materialize from the depths of the corner.

It was Dark-Wing.

He knew it was.

But how?

"Making an attempt to go down memory lane, are we?" Dark-Wing asked, amused at the internal struggle obviously taking place in his head.

Zane squinted, blinking harshly, but did not respond.

Dark-Wing went around to stand behind him. "Now, before I can untie you, you need to answer a few questions."

Zane nodded mechanically.

"Who do you serve?"

"The darkness."

The answer slipped through his lips without hesitation, but something in the back of his mind protested.

"And who is the darkness?"

"The Shadow Riders."

Again, Zane felt a tug in his mind, objecting to his answers.

It was a struggle to suppress it. But the real question was, why was he trying to suppress it?

"Good," Dark-Wing was beaming. "Excellent"

And he bean to untie the rope wrapped around his wrists.

Zane breathed deeply. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Time to join dear Alexis, now," Dark-Wing said.

Alexis.

A sharp pain darted through his memories. Or what was left of them. Shimmering blonde hair. Bright brown eyes. A beautiful girl smiled vibrantly in his recollection. She was light in an abyss of darkness. But then it was gone in a flash.

He knew her. He knew Alexis. And the twinge in his heart told him she meant more to him than he would have liked.

"Come along," Dark-Wing directed him out of the forlorn room and into a dark hallway, which eventually led to an arena.

A sudden deluge of memories filled his head. Him. Alexis. Dark-Wing. A duel. Obelisk the Tormentor.

It hurt Zane to the point of tears.

He grimaced, holding his head between his hands, endeavoring to keep his mind at bay.

Dark-Wing watched Zane carefully. "Déjà vu, Truesdale?"

Zane shook his head, willing the ache to stop.

The doors on the other side of the arena opened, and entered Vice, followed by Alexis.

She stopped right in front of him. They were barely a foot apart.

Seeing her belted his senses. She stood tall and confident, like she always did. But her eyes. They were not the way they should have been. They were completely lifeless.

But that was the way it was supposed to be…wasn't it? The darkness…it was good for them. For her.

Nevertheless, the second that thought crossed his mind, doubt followed.

Dark-Wing smirked. "Now let's reunite you two with your friends, shall we?"

_**(A/N): It's been AGES, hasn't it? Hopefully, some of you are still interested in this story…(crosses fingers).**_


	14. Returning and Confrontations

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 14: Returning and Confrontations**

The anticipation in Zane was strong. His mind felt frozen and deadened but his blood was boiling - pumping his heart a mile a minute. It was a rather deceptive and paradoxical feeling. His body could not retain itself, but his mind was unbelievably calm.

The three of the had appeared in front of Duel Academia out of thin air just moments ago, Alexis to the right, Zane to the left, and Dark-Wing taking his place in the center.

"Rather strange dynamic, isn't it Truesdale?" Dark-Wing mocked, eyes glinting. "The things that go on in your head and the things that go on in your heart. Feels like a tug-of-war."

Zane didn't answer. He looked at Dark-Wing, not quite sure of what to make of his statement. Yes, it felt different. And he wasn't certain if the different was good or bad. The darkness should have felt good, but it felt like a contradiction. Darkness, good? It should have been logical to him, but…it wasn't.

Dark-Wing chuckled at chaos he saw in Zane's cold face. "You're just itching to do something aren't you?"

Again, Zane remained silent. He _was_ itching to do something. He was itching to unleash his power…his darkness. Yet, a nagging feeling in the depths of his mind told him that this sensation to let loose the shadows was more of a desperate cry to get rid of such poisoned thoughts.

Dark-Wing clapped his hand on Zane's shoulder. "Go on, Truesdale," he encouraged. "Duel Academia is your oyster. Beat every student you come across. Help them see the greatness of the Shadow Riders."

With one last glance at Alexis, Zane walked off towards the entrance of Duel Academia.

Dark-Wing watched him go, a satisfied leer on his lips, before he directed his attention to Alexis.

"I believe your friends are gathered at the North Pier, my dear," he walked around her, looking her up and down. "And I know they are just _anxious_ to see you."

Again, he'd used the word 'friends', and again, she'd felt a twinge in her heart and her supposedly forgotten memories.

"Why don't you go say hello?" Dark-Wing suggested. "I'm sure they would love to be reunited with you, now."

That triggered something in Alexis, and she paused for a moment, considering her master's words.

Dark-Wing noticed this, and snarled. "Go, _now_, Alexis. It's an order."

She cringed at the tone of his voice with its underlying menace and didn't think twice about it, heading the opposite direction of Zane, toward the North Pier.

Dark-Wing smiled as she walked away.

"Excellent."

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Atticus carefully placed all his cards back into the card holder of his duel disk. Four pairs of eyes observed him, all worn out but restless to know what he would do next.

"So, Att - um, _Night_ - no, uh, Atti…er," Syrus groaned, stumbling over what he should call Atticus, and decided to skip the name altogether and get straight to the point. "How are you going to do this?"

Atticus glanced at all four of them, seeing the curious stares they all held him with.

He readjusted his duel disk and began to walk away.

"I know how to get to the Shadow Riders," he said. "I plan on getting Alexis and Zane back."

"Right," Chazz snorted. "But _how_?"

Bastion elbowed the elite duelist.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Just let the man do what he needs to do, alright?"

"You're still in there, right Atticus?"

Jaden's question caused a heavy vacillation to hang in the air.

Atticus turned around, his line of vision coming into contact with that of the Slifer's.

"We're one in the same, Jaden," he said, little emotion emitted from his voice.

This produced a generous grin from Jaden. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

A rustle suddenly came from the woods off to the side and everyone froze.

And a pair of familiar boots walked out.

Astonished silence followed.

"…_Alexis_?"

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Michael, or Mike as he liked to be called, was a Ra Yellow student and was always considered by his classmates to be friendly and a hard worker. And within five minutes, all his prior thoughts and loyalties were diminished in a shadow duel with the legendary Kaiser.

He fell to ground, unconscious.

It was Zane's third victim.

And he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

Why, he wasn't sure. It wasn't like he knew the kid. He was just an harmless Duel Academia student.

Another guilty pang shot through his chest.

Harmless.

And yet there he was, on the ground, completely knocked out.

Zane shook his head in aggravation.

What were all these foreign sentiments? Were they even foreign? They felt…like they'd been in him before.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Five pairs of eyes stared unabashedly, open mouthed, at the figure that stood before them.

"You're back!" came Jaden's cheerful exclamation.

Alexis allowed her gaze to travel to her former companion's face.

Listless brown eyes met lively brown ones, and Jaden's grin immediately disappeared.

"Lexi."

She diverted her interest to Atticus, and couldn't ignore the spark that his familiar nickname caused in her.

He stood before her, unmoving and unwilling to take his eyes off her.

"Lexi, you…" he paused, unsure. "What happened to you?"

She smirked, speaking up for the first time. "I saw the darkness."

And Atticus understood. He could see it in her eyes. He'd have to be blind not to notice the change.

All that was left of his little sister was a shell.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked her.

She merely stared blankly back at him, no emotion evident on her face.

Desperation taking over, Atticus took used all his might to pull of his mask. The sudden removal caused a light to fill his heart. And all of a sudden, the world appeared a bit brighter.

Ignoring the pure sensation, he looked his sister directly in the eye.

"It's me, Lexi," he said, taking a step toward her. "It's Atty, your big brother."

He took another step. "C'mon, Lexi. You know me."

Alexis looked at him, the nagging hunch in the back of her mind growing more annoying.

She frowned, not liking the reaction of warmth and friendliness, and thrust her arm out to keep him form getting any closer.

"Stop it," her voice was unbelievably strong and calm. "I didn't come here for a trip down memory lane. I came to duel."

"Duel?" Chazz echoed.

Her eyes flashed heatedly at the Ra Yellow. "Need a definition?"

Chazz suddenly felt himself growing small as he backed away from her, stepping behind Syrus. "N-No."

Syrus tossed an incredulous look at Chazz. "You pick the shortest to hide behind?"

Alexis unlocked her duel disk, disregarding the side raucous. "Who's my first victim?"

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Principal Sheppard could not believe it.

He stared at his TV screens in a combination of alarm and hope. Alexis' name was blinking on the tracker, giving away her location on the North Pier.

'_But how?…_'

He had to be sure, entering her name in a second time. Then a third. Followed by a fourth.

It was definitely her signal. And it was strong.

Taking out his P-V-P, Principal Sheppard sped dialed his head guard. "I need two of you with me right now," said urgently. "There's a signal at the North Pier."

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Zane tucked away his deck the moment his opponent's life points - an Obelisk Blue who had a big ego - dropped to zero. So far, he'd taken down nearly a dozen, beating them all within five turns.

He wasn't sure if it was the dark power within him or if he was simply running into mediocre duelists, but he'd never won so easily before.

And he found that he _liked_ it. The feeling that came with winning. It was overriding his senses. There was an impression that he was unbeatable and that he could do anything. It was fierce and compelling and strong.

The evil that circulated through Zane was no longer mild. With each opponent, he found himself become darker and darker. He falling slowly into an abyss of power and it was becoming extremely difficult to crawl out.

No matter how hard he tried to think of anything good - light and hopeful, he became drained of energy. The temptation of the other side was too intense. And memories of faces and names were virtually gone. It seemed like absolutely nothing could trigger him out of his position.

All he served now was the darkness.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Principal Sheppard froze in passing, guards in tow, when he saw the body of one his students lying in the middle of the entrance to the Ra Yellow dormitories.

He hastily ran to the poor boy and discovered it to be Michael, a very promising Ra Yellow student with dreams of going to the Pro Leagues. And yet there he was, unconscious, Duel Monster cards thrown about in every direction.

"Michael," Principal Sheppard shook his shoulders. "Michael, wake up."

Nothing.

He set Michael back down.

"What could have happened?" he wondered aloud.

"Principal Sheppard?" a shy and timid girl sneaked out from behind one of the columns of the entranceway.

He knew this girl as well. "Matilda?"

She nodded in confirmation. "I saw what happened."

Principal Sheppard frowned. "What is it, dear?"

She took a deep breath, and said in a shaky voice, "It was Zane."

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

The moment Alexis uttered her challenges, five bodies took a giant step back.

"D-Did she say…_victim_?" though it came out as a whisper from Syrus, it was rather high pitched.

"Alexis, you need to calm down," Chazz suggested.

She stared deliberately at him. "I am calm," she said monotonously.

"Uh, right," Chazz agreed, nodding his head vigorously.

He elbowed Bastion randomly. "_See_?" his voice took a small rise in tone. "She's calm."

Bastion arched his eyebrow at the currently sniffling duelist. "Indeed," he said. "It's a shame we can't say the same for you."

"Enough playing around," Alexis narrowed her cold eyes slightly. "Who's first?"

"She may be under the control of the Shadow riders," Syrus murmured. "But she's still Alexis."

"Right," Jaden suddenly announced, taking everyone by surprise.

He smiled at her, and the familiar action caused yet another pain to shoot through her chest.

"I'll duel you."

_**(A/N): I updated, man. Cheyeah, boy-ooo.**_


	15. Dueling, Making, and Breaking

**Can't Hide**

**Chapter 15: Dueling, Making, and Breaking**

_**(A/N): Thanks to the FOUR people who reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad to know that some people are still interested in this fic.**_

_**(A/N 2): I invented two duel cards (spell, to be exact) to fit my story. Mostly because I couldn't think of any cards that had the same effect these cards had. And there probably are, but I'm a writer, not a duelist, so I wouldn't know to begin with. So I apologize if I use these cards wrong, but humor me, won't you? Also, if you do know cards in the game that are similar to ones I made up, let me know, and I'll change the name of these cards! Once again, sorry for any errors. Thanks!**_

Alexis stared at Jaden with empty eyes and a surprisingly heavy heart.

Something about this action, about dueling him, felt extremely familiar. And she hated it. The constant harassing sentiments that wouldn't go away. The ghosts of thoughts in her head that kept telling her she was more than this - _better_ than this. Shadows in the dark of memories that involved a life that seemed more like a dream. Something from a parallel universe. Everything was just so hazy. And the barrage of voices and faces that she once knew were unlocking a sensation of nostalgia in her. There was something so tender and welcoming with her so called 'friends'. It was drawing her in, and she didn't want to be drawn in…did she?

"Game on, then," Alexis declared, sliding her deck into her duel disk.

Syrus was rocking back on forth on the balls of his feet, anxious and concerned. But it wasn't just the duel between Alexis and Jaden that was about to take place caused his jittery actions.

"Do you think, maybe…" Syrus looked up at Bastion. "Zane's back, too?"

Bastion eyes widened a fraction. He hadn't considered the possibility. "If Alexis has returned, then there's no doubt Zane has, too."

A light of hope engulfed Syrus. "Where do you think he is?"

Chazz snorted, shaking his head in regret. "Where ever he is, he's probably doing the same thing Alexis is…only ten times worst."

Syrus's anxious feeling from earlier immediately melted into outright fear. "I-I need to go find him then!" he exclaimed, turning around.

"Wait, Syrus!" Bastion tried to catch him.

But it was too late. He'd run off into the woods, on the search for his brother.

"This is just stupid," Chazz proclaimed, watching as Alexis made the first move.

"I summon Red Eyes Black Dragon," Alexis called. "And I place two cards face down."

Jaden stared at the gigantic hologram of the duel monster in complete and utter shock.

"S-She has _that_ in her deck?" Chazz sputtered.

Bastion shook his head in disbelief. "No," he said. "No, she doesn't."

"She's not using her deck," Atticus breathed. "_It's not her deck_."

"I got an upgrade," Alexis smirked, referring to her Red Eyes Black Dragon, who roared in response. "It's much better than my original wimpy Cyber girls."

"But-how…_why_?" Chazz couldn't take his eyes off the massive creature. "That's supposed to be your monster, Atticus."

Atticus could only stare at the Red Eyes Black Dragon standing beside his sister. No, it wasn't _his_ monster. This dragon was not the same. This dragon belonged to the shadows.

"This isn't good." Bastion was worried. "If she has a new deck, then Jaden can't count on knowing her cards to beat her. There's no predictability. Jaden will have no idea what cards she'll use - he won't know what's coming."

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Syrus ran through the woods, as fast as his little legs could take him. The only problem was, he had no idea where he was even going. He evidently had not thought his plan through.

'_Do I even __**have**__ a plan_?' he wondered disdainfully.

He stopped, bending over to rest his hands on his knees so he could take a breather.

"What do I do?" he gasped to himself, looking around, hoping the answer would magically pop out at him.

"Oh, man," he wheezed, realizing that the short dash had caused a stitch in his side. "I need longer legs."

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

Zane was in a state of euphoria.

The more duelists he beat, the more the darkness grew. And the more shadows created, the more powerful he became.

He felt absolutely unbeatable.

And that was what he was.

All these small Duel Academia students - they were no match for him. He needed a real challenge.

Walking through the corridors of the school, he realized what he needed to do.

"Mr. Truesdale!"

Principal Sheppard's booming voice echoed through the hallways.

Zane turned around, and the balding man couldn't help but let out a gasp. There, in the eyes of one is most prized students, was absolute emptiness. Void of any humanity, his irises were chasms of black night.

It was making him disheartened just looking Zane in the eye. Almost like the life and happiness was being slowly drained out of him.

Principal Sheppard willed himself to blink, and the effect was immediately lost.

Zane smirked at him in acknowledgment and turned back around, heading toward the exit.

Too frozen in shock, Principal Sheppard didn't even bother to follow him.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

"Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack his Elemental Hero!"

In a matter of seconds, Jaden's warrior was shattered to pieces, and his life points dropped to 1500.

Alexis felt a pang in her chest the moment she launched her attack. Just like the first two times she'd done it. It felt absolutely _horrible_.

Cringing slightly, Jaden drew out another card from his deck. Monster Reborn.

Glancing at Alexis' massive dragon, a plan started to formulate in his head. He had a strange feeling that Red Eyes was the strongest monster she had. Three turns had gone by for her, and she hadn't called up any other monsters. Just using spells and traps to keep that one card on her field. Albeit, it wasn't a new and original strategy, but Alexis had powerful spell cards that were hard to beat and maneuver around. So long as Red Eyes Black Dragon was still on the field, he wouldn't be able to do much damage to her life points.

Smiling slightly at the Polymerization card in his hand, Jaden knew exactly what he needed to do.

"Alexis' new tactic is definitely unlike her," Bastion commented.

Chazz rolled his eyes. "Well, _duh_," he sneered. "That's because she _isn't_ Alexis."

"I realize that," Bastion said, rolling his eyes as well. "I meant look at the way she's playing. Powering up just one monster, as opposed to using several together. It's like she doesn't even care about any of her other monsters."

"Maybe she doesn't have any other monsters," Chazz suggested aloofly.

Realization struck Bastion. "Maybe…" he frowned. "But that wouldn't be very smart of her. Then again, she has a huge amount of spell and trap cards, all aimed at helping her Red Eyes."

"She just keeps hitting Jaden, over and over again, not giving him a chance to defend himself," Atticus whispered, scrutinizing his sister. "Like she's trying to finish this duel as fast as she can."

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

"Principal Sheppard!"

Having no idea what to do, or no clue where his brother was, Syrus decided to play messenger instead and relay the news about Alexis.

But surprisingly, he didn't have to run far. Their principal was walking quickly down the steps of Duel Academia's entrance, flanked by a couple of guards.

"Syrus," Principal Sheppard halted.

"Principal Sheppard." Syrus felt a sense of relief wash over him. "Alexis, she's back. But she's completely different. She's dueling Jaden right now."

Their principal nodded unhappily. "I am aware of that, Syrus. I picked up her signal at the North Pier. Zane has returned as well."

"Zane?" Syrus perked up at the mention of his brother. "So he is back?"

Principal Sheppard nodded, and waved at him to continue walking. "And running a muck, destroying every duelist he comes across."

At that statement, Syrus had sudden sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"You said Alexis is dueling Jaden?" Principal Sheppard's walk soon turned into a jog, and Syrus' short legs once again held them both back.

"She's dueling for the Shadow Riders now."

The jog turned into a run, and Syrus knew he was going to be left behind.

_**YGO-GX YGO-GX YGO-GX**_

"First, I place one card facedown. Then, I play my Polymerization card to fuse together two of my Elemental Heroes to create Elemental Hero Edgeman!"

Alexis frowned, looking up at his monster's attack points. Having used two spell cards the turn prior to that to hang on to her Red Eyes on the field, her field had only two cards facedown and three in her hand. And she was left wide open with no protection.

Unfortunately, one of the spell cards she used required that she not use any trap cards her next turn - her current turn - in return. And the three cards she held in her hands were trap cards.

"Hero Edgeman, take down her Red Eyes!"

Her Red Eyes Black Dragon unleashed a loud cry of pain before being destroyed.

Something filled Alexis's senses then and there, as her life points finally dropped by 200 to 3800. She didn't feel angry at all. In fact, she felt lighter. How, she didn't know. But it was like the weight she carried on her shoulders dropped a few ounces.

"Now, direct attack to her life points!" Jaden yelled.

Alexis braced herself as his Elemental Hero attacked her brutally, taking away big chunk of her life points, making it drop to 1200.

Atticus' big brother instinct suddenly took over, and all he wanted to do was run to Alexis' side and shield her from any harm. He could sense it though, the gradual change in her as she dueled Jaden. She was breaking. But whether or not it was a good thing was determinant on her.

The dark duelist in Alexis was frustrated by Jaden's attack, but the friend deep in her wanted him to end this quickly, willingly accepting any hits he took on her.

Hands shaking, she pointed to her facedown card. "I reveal my two spell cards, Defusion and Giving Back! Defusion, defuse his Elemental Hero back into their original forms!"

Elemental hero Edgeman was immediately separated into two, back to his two initial heroes.

"…And Giving Back?" Jaden questioned guardedly.

"It has a special effect in which once one of my monsters are destroyed and my life points take a direct hit, you donate half of _your_ life points to my cause," Alexis smiled slightly in pride. "So you would donate 750 points to me."

Jaden's life points were cut in half, given to Alexis, and he stood with just 750 left. Alexis' life points boosted to 1950.

"Luckily for you, once I play this card, I'm not allowed to summon a monster until my next turn," Alexis pulled out two more cards from her deck. "So I place these two cards facedown, and end my turn."

"Man, Jaden took a worst beating than Alexis, and he had a direct attack to her," Chazz said, almost in awe.

"Yes," Bastion nodded. "But Alexis had to sacrifice a turn to keep her life points higher than Jaden's, so all in all, both took a huge strain in this attack."

"She's fighting it," Atticus muttered.

Chazz and Bastion glanced at Atticus simultaneously in confusion. "What?"

"She's fighting it," he repeated, almost excitedly.

They may have missed it, be Atticus didn't. She'd smiled briefly when she made her move. For a split second, it was like the old Alexis was back.

She was breaking through.

"C'mon, Lexi!" Atticus shouted in encouragement. "Keep fighting it! Keep fighting the darkness!"

Jaden, taken aback faintly by Atticus' cry, looked at Alexis. There was glimmer in her eyes that wasn't there when they'd started dueling. But the expression on her face was one of annoyance and anger.

More confident than ever, Jaden knew what he was about to do next was going to be the deciding move.

"It's time to end this!" he announced.

Alexis stared at him in confusion.

"I switch my two Elemental Heroes to defense mode, and then I reveal my facedown card, Monster Reborn!"

The familiar blue card turned over and exposed itself.

"What?" Alexis mocked, arching an eyebrow. "Are you going to call back _another_ Elemental Hero?"

"Nope," Jaden grinned gleefully. "I'm going to call back _your_ dragon."

Atticus, Bastion, Chazz and Alexis gaped at him.

"Return to the field, Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

The dark dragon reappeared on Jaden's side of the field, growling in all its glory.

Chazz shook his head in disbelief. "Well, I definitely didn't see that one coming."

"It still amazes me...the tricks Jaden manages to pull," Bastion observed.

Alexis, heart pounding, skimmed her eyes over her two cards facedown. She reached out, ready to reveal them, when her hands started trembling again. An eerie sensation, like she was being heaved, kept at her, gnawing away the downhearted shadows in her mind. It was like a game of mental tug-of-war, pushing and pulling inside her. Light and dark. Right and wrong. Hope and fear.

She very nearly screamed.

And once again, it didn't go unnoticed by her brother. "Keep at it, Lexi!"

Jaden, who was practically on the edge of jumping up and down, smiled in total certainty. "Red Eyes, give her a taste of her own medicine!"

She gasped, and before she could react otherwise, the dragon monster unleashed its fury on her - fire and all. The attack was so strong, it threw her back off her feet as a cloud of smoke surrounded her.

Her life points hit zero.

And she, in turn, hit the soft sands of the beach violently, knocking herself into a state of oblivion.


End file.
